Seattle, WA
Morosi: Starting to feel like Seattle Mariners' season 'slipping away'
The demoralizing losses just keep piling up for the Seattle Mariners.
Video: Mariners Breakdown — How much trouble are the M’s in?
Heading into the All-Star break, the Mariners lost three consecutive one-run games to the lowly Los Angeles Angels. One week later, they got swept by that same Angels team while mustering a total of just three runs in the three-game series.
Last week, they needed a stunning ninth-inning rally to avoid a sweep against the sub-.500 Detroit Tigers. And then against those same Tigers this week, Seattle did get swept – while totaling just four runs and nine hits in the three games.
The past two losses to Detroit were particularly brutal. On Wednesday night, Mariners starter Bryan Woo threw seven scoreless innings before the bullpen blew an eighth-inning lead and Seattle went on to lose 3-2 in the 10th. And it was déjà vu on Thursday, as Mariners starter Bryce Miller also spun seven scoreless frames before the bullpen blew an eighth-inning lead in a 2-1 loss. It marked the fourth time since the start of July that the Mariners have lost a game despite allowing two runs or fewer.
To make matters worse, the Houston Astros have won eight in a row to build a three-game lead over Seattle atop the American League West. The Mariners are also 3.5 games out of the AL’s final wild-card spot. According to Fangraphs, Seattle’s playoff odds have dropped to 32.6%.
Following the Mariners’ latest loss, MLB insider Jon Morosi joined Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Thursday to discuss the reeling M’s.
“It encapsulates the reasons why people have been so concerned about this team,” Morosi said of the Mariners’ disastrous series in Detroit. “The pitching is so great, it really is. … (But) when you’re three games back in the division behind a team that’s hot and you’re losing games like this to a team that’s out of it, these are the days that, if they accumulate, they can become the death knell of a team in terms of going for a postseason berth.”
The dichotomy between Seattle’s elite starting rotation and struggling offense has been the story all season.
The Mariners have an MLB-best 3.46 ERA, which is 0.26 better than any other team. But the M’s rank at or near the bottom of the league in nearly every major offensive statistical category, including 27th in runs per game (3.94) and dead-last in batting average (.216).
“They don’t have a (player) who is having a star season in the whole lineup,” Morosi said. “Not one. No one’s having a what I would describe as a great offensive year. If you look at OPS, among all players on this team that have at least 100 plate appearances, the best offensive player on this team is Victor Robles. He’s got a .761 OPS. … If you’ve got a team and you believe you have a chance to go to the playoffs, and not a single one of your regular players has an OPS above .800, you’re probably not going to win.”
The Julio void
The Mariners’ offensive woes have been team-wide, but one of the defining storylines of the season has been superstar Julio Rodríguez’s struggles.
Over the past two seasons, Rodríguez burst onto the scene as one of baseball’s brightest young stars, slashing a combined .279/.338/.495 with 60 home runs and an .834 OPS. But this year, his production has been a far cry from that. He is hitting .263/.313/.371 with just 11 homers and a .684 OPS.
Rodríguez was heating up in July, but landed on the injured list with a high-ankle sprain after crashing into the outfield wall in an attempt to catch a fly ball on July 21. He returned to the lineup as Seattle’s designated hitter last Sunday but has yet to return to center field.
“They gave him a massive contract to basically be the face of the franchise, and he’s been hurt and not himself from a productivity standpoint really all year,” Morosi said. “If he had a 30-30 (homers-steals) season, they’d be in first place right now by three games. They would. And it’s not Julio’s fault. I’m not blaming him. … (But) I think that’s where the Mariners find themselves right now. They are waiting for the big guys to show up. And as the the old expression goes, it’s getting late early.”
The Mariners have also been missing leadoff-hitting shortstop J.P. Crawford, who broke the pinky finger on his throwing hand when he was hit by a pitch on July 22. He is expected to remain on the injured list until September.
“J.P. is still on the IL and Julio is not himself,” Morosi said. “As I’ve watched this team play, I’ve continued trying to to talk myself into believing that the next good turn is right around the corner – that Julio getting back and whenever J.P. comes back and different things like that, the next good stretch is just around the bend.
“But now the Astros – who have all this know-how of how to win games this time of year – are three games ahead of you. And it’s all starting to feel like it’s slipping away.”
Listen to full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. MLB insider Jon Morosi joins Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Thursdays for a national perspective on the Mariners.
More on the Seattle Mariners
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• Salk: Should Julio Rodríguez take a page out of Randy Arozarena’s book?
• Passan’s view on ‘unprecedented’ extension for Mariners’ Victor Robles
• Watch: Mariners’ top prospect has memorable home debut in Everett
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Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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