Seattle Mariners Update: AL West lead shrinks ahead of tough series

The 10-game lead the Seattle Mariners had in the AL West just two weeks ago is now a distant memory.

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Seattle’s lead in the division has shrunk again despite the break on Monday. The reason? The Houston Astros are still winning.

Houston spoiled the Blue Jays’ annual Canada Day game in Toronto on Monday, winning 3-1, led by six scoreless innings from Hunter Brown and home runs from Jeremy Peña and Yordan Álvarez. With the win, the second-place Astros cut another half-game lead over the Mariners, which is now just three games.

Seattle is currently 47-39, while Houston is 43-41 after winning 10 of its last 11 games.

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The Mariners were 44-31 on June 19, 10 games ahead of Houston and Texas, and Seattle has struggled through a 3-8 streak in the two weeks since.

What’s next

What makes matters worse for the M’s is the fact that they have to begin a tough three-game series on Tuesday night against the Baltimore Orioles (53-31), who are tied with the New York Yankees for the top spot in both the AL East and the entire American League.

Offense has been the main problem for Seattle during its recent slump. The Mariners have scored more than three runs just three times in their last 11 games, consistent with their ongoing struggles at the plate this season. Seattle ranks near the bottom of MLB in most offensive categories, including last in batting average (.218) and strikeouts (877). That means its strong pitching staff (first in WHIP, second in opponent batting average and sixth in ERA) has carried most of the load in propelling the M’s to the top of the division.

The Orioles, meanwhile, boast a strong pitching staff and lineup. Baltimore is third in the MLB in ERA and fourth in WHIP and opponent average, while the O’s offense leads the league in runs, home runs, slugging percentage and OPS this season.

The Astros play three more games this week in Toronto (38-46) before concluding their three-game road trip against Minnesota (47-37). The Blue Jays, meanwhile, will be in Seattle Friday through Sunday to play the Mariners. The annual, whirlwind series, which always brings an influx of fans from Western Canada, is a real hit.

More about the Seattle Mariners and the AL West

• Mariners Breakdown: Storylines after fourth straight loss
• AL West Check-In: Angels star Mike Trout hopes to return in late July
• MLB insider Jon Morosi reports on the Mariners’ trade efforts
• Mariners injury update: Bryan Woo, Gabe Speier and more
• Gregory Santos, relief pitcher of the Seattle Mariners, begins rehab

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