Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 1
Mariners Seize AL West Lead With 6-Game Streak, Opening 2 1/2-Game Cushion
Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 1

Mariners Seize AL West Lead With 6-Game Streak, Opening 2 1/2-Game Cushion

3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 1
  • Seattle turned a 25-29 start into first place by winning six straight, moving atop the AL West despite spending much of the first two months below .500.
  • That surge came in multiple forms—blowouts, tight low-scoring wins and a 7-6 walk-off—suggesting the club has shaken off the slump tied to its near-World Series run last October.
  • Colt Emerson has added immediate punch with six extra-base hits in his first 13 career games, while Julio Rodríguez and Randy Arozarena have helped drive the offense.
  • The Mariners' rotation remains a backbone behind breakout starter Emerson Hancock, George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Logan Gilbert, with Cal Raleigh's eventual return from an oblique injury offering another boost.
  • In a weak division where the leader hovered near .500 for much of the season, one strong week has put Seattle in control of a race it now looks equipped to win.
Beyond the 'playoff hangover,' what key adjustments propelled the Mariners from early disappointment to AL West leaders?
Is Emerson Hancock's radical pitching change a sustainable breakthrough or a ticking time bomb for his arm?