Has the Mariners ‘Dare to Dream Express’ officially derailed?
Sep 23, 2014, 5:16 PM | Updated: 5:38 pm
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher James Paxton is pulled from the game by manager Lloyd McClendon during the third inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 22, 2014 in Toronto. (Frank Gunn, AP)
(Frank Gunn, AP)
With just six games to go heading into Tuesday’s critical matchup with Toronto, the Mariners were still mathematically alive in the hunt for a wild card playoff spot. Sure, there’s hope. But boy is it hard to keep riding the “Dare to Dream Express.”
710 ESPN Seattle’s Dave Grosby from the Bob and Groz Show is one of those who’ve basically written the season off.
“Sure you’re still in it, but you’re hanging by a thread and you’re playing lousy and your strength, your pitching, has gone south on you. You tell me how to be optimistic?”
It’s tough when the Mariners have lost 10 of the last 15 games, and seen a pitching staff that carried the team all season long self destruct in the last few weeks.
The final straw for a lot of fans was Monday night’s meltdown by previously stellar James Paxton. The rookie standout gave up a career-high nine runs, walked a career-high six and matched a career-tying seven hits in just 2 2/3 innings as the Blue Jays routed the M’s 14-4.
Co-host Bob Stelton says he eagerly ran home to catch the game, only to find the Mariners already trailing 9-1.
“You’ve got to be [expletive deleted] kidding me. Are you serious?” Stelton says.
As Yogi Berra famously said, it ain’t over till it’s over. But Groz points out the Mariners dug a pretty deep hole they’ll be hard-pressed to climb out of, even if they only trailed Kansas City by two games heading into Tuesday.
“If the Royals play just .500, they’ve [Mariners] got to win five out of six, and that just seems utterly impossible at this point,” he says.
It’s tough to argue with, given the collapse over the last few weeks. The Mariners have gone 3-5 in the last eight games of the current road trip, with the pitching staff posting a dismal 8.33 earned run average while being outscored 53-35.
Sadly, many fans seem to be jumping off the Express, as well.
@710ESPNSeattle
The M's are done. I know anything can happen in the next few days, but it seems like the pitching staff has fallen off.— Aaron Nicholes (@AaronNicholes) September 23, 2014
@BobStelton @BobandGroz @DailyHombre @710ESPNSeattle We're not going to the dance this year. Been a good year. It's Jack's & owners move.
— Thomas Wesley (@trwesley1) September 23, 2014
@BobStelton @BobandGroz @DailyHombre @710ESPNSeattle Only Teams that can hit ever make it to the postseason…Personally I think its over…
— John Belton (@J_dot_B_dot) September 23, 2014
But not everyone has given up just yet:
@BobandGroz @710ESPNSeattle I'll take up that offer of the listeners Mariners weekend series tix. My 4 yr old son and I STILL #DareToDream
— Jonathan Coffey (@SeattleCoffey) September 23, 2014
Regardless of whether the Mariners can grab the wild card, Bob and Groz point out that it’s easy to forget that despite whatever happens, the Mariners will finish with at least 12 more wins than last year. And after years of mediocrity, they’ll take it.
