A Grip on Sports: The M’s may not be perfect but they are a ‘10’ when it comes to winning games right now

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Ten is a nice round number. A decade in years. The highest of compliments. Best of the best and all that. And one heck of a winning streak.

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• Those of you who knew the Mariners would put together a 10-game winning streak to kick off July, good for you. You weren’t panicking in May and June like the rest of us, were you? After all, a 10-spot pretty much puts you right in any baseball race.

If 95 wins are needed to earn a playoff berth, then 10 in a row cuts the number to a manageable 85 of 152. Heck, even the M’s of the past couple decades could do that. Occasionally.

Seattle won its ninth and 10th consecutive games Wednesday, sweeping a doubleheader from the Washington Nationals. It was doubleheader made necessary by Tuesday’s thunderstorm, an event that could have thrown the M’s momentum in the dumpster. Especially considering the opener would also be the game Julio Rodriguez was missing for his (phantom) role in the Anaheim brawl.

No matter. Not these days.

Rodriguez, who will be the M’s lone All-Star representative and also a home run derby participant, wasn’t needed in the first game. Eugenio Suarez hit a three-run home run. Jesse Winker, Cal Raleigh and Adam Frazier hit solo home runs. The M’s held on for a 6-4 morning victory.

The evening game was different, a 2-1 pitcher’s duel which featured the Seattle bullpen doing what it’s done for a while: toss shutout frames. Until Paul Sewald, the closer, gave up a rocket to Juan Soto in the bottom of the ninth. Again, no matter. He got three of the next four hitters and the M’s headed to Texas tied for a wild-card spot.

(As an aside, being tied with Toronto doesn’t seem right. The Blue Jays have a built-in advantage. Canada won’t allow any players in who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. The Royals will head north of the border without 10 players. An awful major league franchise will play a series with its Triple-A players. Seems like a pretty stout home-field advantage, doesn’t it?)

The past few weeks could not have worked out any better for the Mariners – despite a few hiccups. They had injuries. They battled in Anaheim. They lost J.P. Crawford, Winker and Rodriguez to suspensions. And yet they continue to win.

The hot stretch includes 18 wins in their last 21 games. Four games remain – all in Texas – before the All-Star break. After playing Sunday, everyone but Rodriguez will have four days off. They return on July 22 for a six-game homestand split between the Astros and the Rangers.

Let’s hope the momentum carries through.

• Speaking of hope, it’s needed now for a Gonzaga nonconference game. The Zags agreed to meet Michigan State this Veterans Day on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier that will be berthed in San Diego.

It’s a cool look – and gesture toward the military – but it’s also a bit of a crapshoot. The weather will have to cooperate. Playing outdoors always carries a bit of a risk. Throw in the unknowns inherent with being on a ship, even one as large as an aircraft carrier, and the odds grow a bit longer.

Still, matchups between Michigan State under Tom Izzo and GU have always been fun, no matter if they have occurred in Hawaii or Spokane or the NCAA Tournament.

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WSU: Around the Pac-12, sad news from Eugene last night. Oregon tight end Spencer Webb died at age 22. Details surrounding his death have not been confirmed, though the Sacramento Bee is reporting he was killed in a diving accident near Eugene. … The Big 12 is “open for business.” Now the question is will any of the Pac-12 schools shop there? For now the conference is reportedly pulling together. … Brendon Lewis leads Colorado’s quarterback chase. … USC is no longer being sued by one of its former players.

Gonzaga: Jim Meehan has all the details concerning the Zags’ game with Michigan State. We mentioned (and linked) it above. There is also coverage from San Diego. … Theo Lawson is still in Las Vegas, where Chet Holmgren had another summer league game last night. Holmgren’s stat line was not as filled as it has been. … Around the WCC, there is an interview with the U. of Portland athletic director in the Portland Tribune. … Alex Barcello left a legacy at BYU.

Indians: Spokane trailed by five runs entering the eighth inning last night in Eugene. No matter. The Indians scored nine runs in their final four outs and ended up winning 9-5.

Golf: The British Open is underway at the home of golf, St. Andrews. Scores are low. We are going to watch.

Mariners: We covered everything above, including Rodriguez’s decision to enter the Home Run Derby.

Seahawks: Amanda Ruller is trying to achieve a goal. She wants to be an NFL coach. She’s spending the summer with the Hawks as an intern.

Kraken: A bunch of free agents signed yesterday throughout the NHL, including with Seattle.

Sounders: One mistake can be the difference. It was last night in Nashville, where Seattle yielded a late first-half goal and eventually lost 1-0.

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• The major league season can be interminably long when the local team is scuffling. It also can be exciting when it’s playing well. The latter is better than the former, that’s for sure. Until later …