ST. PETERSBURG -- The Mariners, gunning for their first postseason appearance since 2001, are solidly in the American League Wild Card hunt. When they face the Rays in Wednesday afternoon’s series finale at Tropicana Field, there will be 54 games to go.
Mariners manager Scott Servais said he likes his team’s chances.
"I like the spot we’re in right now, I really do,’’ Servais said. “We’re in a good spot with our offense, and I like how our lineup is constructed with the balance and depth we have. We’re deeper than it has ever been at any point of the season, and that excites me.’’
The Mariners, Yankees and Blue Jays are bunched up, chasing the A’s for the second Wild Card -- Seattle and New York are two games behind Oakland after the Mariners' 4-2 win over the Rays on Tuesday, and they're one game ahead of Toronto. The Indians and Angels are not far behind. There’s plenty of time for those positions to go back and forth.
“It’s always fun [to contend for the playoffs], and that’s why you play,’’ Servais said. “You play all year to get into meaningful games in August and September. We are there. I know we are.
“You’re not just worrying about how you’re doing personally. You do the right things to help your team, and those things don’t always show up in the box score, but you love doing the right things to help your team.’’
Fans might obsess over the standings. Servais does not -- at least, not yet.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t look at the standings every day,’’ Servais said. “I focus series to series. If you keep winning series, you look up and you’ll be in a great spot on the first of September. At that point, you can look at it a little closer once you get to the final 25 or 30 games of the season.’’
Figuring out the bullpen
The composition of the Mariners’ bullpen continues to be a work in progress. Diego Castillo and Joe Smith were acquired through trades in the past week. Kendall Graveman and JT Chargois were traded away. Wyatt Mills is in his fifth stint with the big league club this season.
“We’ve had a couple of additions in the 'pen, so it’s going to be a little different,’’ Servais said. “The pitchers we acquired are a little different than what we traded away. But we have a lot of options there, and it’s a strength of the club.
“Not everybody is available every night. I wish we played [just] three games every week. It would be the greatest game in the world. This is not college baseball, just getting ready for the weekend. Everybody loves to talk about bullpen usage, and it makes the game more interesting. But [managing the bullpen] and knowing where the guys are physically, you have to be cognizant of that.’’
Gilbert still streaking
Right-hander Logan Gilbert (5-2, 4.04 ERA) might have pedestrian statistics in his rookie season, but the Mariners have won the last 11 games he has started. Gilbert will start in Wednesday afternoon’s series finale against the Rays.
“Every time he takes the ball, I feel good about him giving us a chance to win the game,’’ Servais said.
Gilbert was a 2018 first-round Draft pick (14th overall) from Stetson University.