The Windup: The Seattle Mariners’ remarkable run, AL wild-card race gets interesting

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The American League wild-card race is getting crowded and poised for a frenzied finish. We also have notes on Shohei Ohtani, the Mariners’ bullpen, Cubs manager David Ross’ impact and stories behind signature strike-three calls. I’m Kaitlyn McGrath, in for Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to the Windup!

AL wild-card race update: Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated?

Rangers reliever Jonathan Hernández after walking in the winning run against the Twins. (Jeffrey Becker / USA Today)

When Major League Baseball added the extra wild-card spot, the hope was it would keep more teams in the playoff picture later into the season. Mission accomplished. Both the American League and National League wild-card races have at least six teams reasonably in the race.

Over in the AL, the landscape shifted this weekend. Amid an awful 1-9 stretch, the Texas Rangers have been usurped by the surging Seattle Mariners, who are now alone atop the AL West standings after winning nine of their last 10 games. It’s the first time since April 8 that the Rangers haven’t been in first. Instead, Texas is tied with the Houston Astros for the second and third wild-card spots.

With 30-odd games left, things are bound to jostle around in the division. The Mariners and Rangers, for example, play each other seven more times, including a four-game series to wrap up the season, and the Astros still have three each against Texas and Seattle. If they beat up on each other enough, will that leave an opening for, say, an AL East team trying to squeak in?

The Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays continue to comfortably occupy playoff positions as the division leader and top wild-card team, respectively, but Toronto and Boston are desperately trying to hang around, though neither helped their cases with series losses this weekend.

The Blue Jays are 2 1/2 games back of a wild-card position. They are in the midst of what some might describe as a soft part of their schedule, but their offense continues to inexplicably squander opportunities. The Red Sox, meanwhile, are staring down a pivotal series against the Astros this week, which could determine their playoff fate.

Oh, and over in the AL Central, it’s Dallas Keuchel’s Twins and Kole Calhoun’s Guardians vying for supremacy. Just as we all expected.

More on the playoff picture: Projected matchups and which teams would have the edge if the season ended today.

Ken’s Notebook: The Mariners’ impressive bullpen

Last week in The Windup, I wrote that when the Mariners traded closer Paul Sewald to the Diamondbacks at the deadline, they did not view it as a sell move. The trade netted them outfielder Dominic Canzone and utility man Josh Rojas, two left-handed hitters who could help them both short- and long-term, as well as an infield prospect, Ryan Bliss.

What is truly remarkable about the deal is how a bullpen constructed largely of waiver claims and players acquired in minor trades remains strong even after losing Sewald. And lest anyone forget, Sewald was an unheralded acquisition himself, originally joining the team on a minor-league contract in January 2021.

Since the trade, the Mariners have gone 20-5, taking over the division lead this late in the season for the first time since Aug. 26, 2003. Their bullpen during that time has been one of the best in the majors, a tribute to the Mariners’ success in getting the most out of the relatively anonymous relievers they acquire.

Consider how the Mariners’ bullpen was built:

• Andrés Muñoz (2.63 ERA). Was part of a terrific trade that also brought the Mariners first baseman Ty France, catcher Luis Torrens and outfielder Taylor Trammell from the Padres for catcher Austin Nola and relievers Austin Adams and Dan Altavilla on Aug. 31, 2020.

• Matt Brash (3.60). Another theft from the Padres in a separate deal at the 2020 deadline. Brash, who had yet to pitch above A-ball (the 2020 minor-league season was canceled because of COVID-19), came for right-hander Taylor Williams, who later bounced to the Marlins and Giants before returning to the Mariners on a minor-league deal in January.

• Justin Topa (2.04). Acquired from the Brewers for right-hander Joseph Hernandez on Jan. 7.

• Tayler Saucedo (3.23). Waiver claim from the Mets on Jan. 31.

• Gabe Speier (3.63). Waiver claim from the Royals on Nov. 9, 2022.

• Trent Thornton (2.31 with Mariners). Acquired from the Blue Jays for infielder Mason McCoy on July 26.

• Isaiah Campbell (2.76). Second-round pick, 2019.

The Mariners could use Bryce Miller and/or Bryan Woo as relievers if they reach the postseason, potentially making their bullpen even deeper and stronger.

More in Ken’s column: How would Ohtani adapt to just hitting?

Shohei Ohtani’s silence: One must put up barriers to keep oneself intact

(Brad Penner / USA Today)

The baseball world continues to be held hostage, to some extent, because of the uncertainty surrounding Shohei Ohtani. The two-way superstar won’t pitch again this season after a tear in his UCL was discovered last week. He’s continued to DH for the Angels. But for how long? Will he need Tommy John surgery? Will he play in 2024? Will he return to being a two-way player again and force us all to reimagine the limitations of the human body?

Those are all fair questions, especially as teams vie for Ohtani this offseason in what could still be a record-breaking free-agent signing. But don’t expect any answers soon from the man himself. Ohtani is notoriously private and typically only speaks on days he starts and, well, that’s not happening again any time soon.

• To date, Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, have been silent on this ordeal. That’s left the Angels to explain the situation and general manager Perry Minasian revealed this weekend that Ohtani and his camp declined testing on his arm prior to the imaging that revealed the tear.

• It’s curious that this information hadn’t come up in two prior media availabilities, leading some to speculate that the Angels were trying to clean up after public blowback on their handling of Ohtani’s injury.

As this was swirling around him, however, Ohtani continued to do Ohtani things over the weekend in front of a New York crowd that was certainly doing its best to woo him.

The art of the strikeout call: Everyone who doubted me is askin’ for forgiveness

(Tim Heitman / USA Today)

As much as fans sometimes don’t want to admit it, umpires have a challenging job. They have to make quick judgment calls in the midst of a highly competitive game that’s only getting faster. And when umpires are wrong, someone will be in their face yelling at them about it. (Heck, even if they’re right, someone might start yelling at them.) It’s a high-stress gig, which is perhaps why some MLB umps like to have a little fun with their strike-three calls.

For years, calling strike three has been an art form for umpires. In a game that’s increasingly incorporating technology, it remains one of the few uniquely human expressions that can’t be replicated by robo-umps.

How umpires execute their signature calls comes down to personal preference, though the point of making them emphatic is to exude confidence. Some umps are understated, while others, like Tom Hallion, became known for ferocious gesticulations behind the plate.

However, the specter of a potential automated strike zone or challenge system has made some umpires reconsider how they’d call strike three. Could we be seeing the final days of the signature punch out?

Handshakes and High Fives

Who is going to win the National League MVP? It looked as though it would be an open-and-shut case for Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. but his teammate Matt Olson, as well as Dodgers teammates Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, are in the mix, too.

As the calendar inches toward September and the Chicago Cubs remain in the middle of a playoff race, manager David Ross faces more scrutiny over how he sets the lineup or the decisions he makes. But the player-turned-manager appreciates the opportunity to oversee meaningful games and hopefully guide his team into October, write Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney.

Brittany Ghiroli has the latest on what was a busy week for the Washington Nationals.

The Yankees season has been a disaster but at least the performance of Gerrit Cole has been a bright spot. The right-hander’s “really special season” has him as a favorite to win his first Cy Young. The award would surely cement his legacy as one of the best pitchers of his generation.

Baltimore Orioles closer Félix Bautista has been MLB’s most valuable relief pitcher this season, worth 2.8 fWAR. That’s nearly a win more than the second-most valuable reliever. (Aroldis Chapman, 2.0 fWAR). But the man they call The Mountain was placed on the IL with a UCL injury this weekend. Can the first-place Orioles replace him?

An investigation is ongoing to determine how two women suffered gunshot wounds inside Guaranteed Rate Field during a White Sox–Athletics game Friday night.

On The Athletic Baseball Show: Zack Meisel tells Stephen Nesbitt why this is likely Terry Francona’s final season managing.

(Top photo of Julio Rodríguez: Alika Jenner / Getty Images)