Amazing, in just 24 hours, how much the mood shifted around the Mariners clubhouse.
Coming off a 3-7 road trip, and then losing their first game of the homestand Tuesday, 5-0, to the Texas Rangers, the Mariners came to the ballpark Wednesday afternoon desperately searching for answers.
By Thursday afternoon, Mariners manager Scott Servais was shooting for the moon, so to speak.
The Mariners, Servais said, aren’t content to simply qualify for the playoffs and end the longest postseason drought in American professional sports.
“I know it’s been 21 years, believe me. I hear it every day. We’re getting close to check that box,” Servais said before Thursday’s series finale against Texas. “But the ultimate goal is to win the World Series.”
The Mariners eased some escalating concerns Wednesday night with a 3-1 victory over the Rangers at T-Mobile Park.
By the time most of the Mariners arrived at the ballpark Thursday afternoon, the Baltimore Orioles had already lost their third straight game in Boston, lowering the Mariners’ magic number to two.
Come Friday night, the Mariners could be celebrating their first playoff berth since 2001.
The Mariners are still in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the American League wild card race, which would guarantee playoff games in Seattle next week. They entered Thursday night trailing the Toronto Blue Jays by two games for the No. 1 wild card. The Blue Jays wrap up the regular season with three games against Boston and three in Baltimore.
“Just getting in is a great accomplishment, no question about it,” Servais said. “We would like to host a postseason game. That is the focus here. I think everybody knows the chances (of winning) are a little bit better when we are playing at home. It would bring something to the fanbase here, something they’ve been very hungry for a long, long time.”
The Mariners close out the regular season by hosting Oakland for a three-game series starting Friday and Detroit for a four-game series starting Monday. Servais said the Mariners will play to win all those games, even if they clinch a playoff berth earlier in the weekend.
It should help having a lineup closer to full strength.
Eugenio Suarez was back playing third base Thursday night for the first time since breaking a bone on his right index finger two weeks ago.
And there was more encouraging news on Julio Rodriguez, who was scheduled to take batting practice Thursday afternoon for the first time since landing on the injured list with a back strain last week.
Rodriguez is on track to return when eligible on Monday, Servais said.
For now, Servais said he does not plan to alter the pitching rotation for the final seven games of the regular season.
As things stand, Luis Castillo is scheduled to start Game 1 of a potential playoff series, with Robbie Ray and George Kirby the likely starters for Games 2 and 3, respectively.
Logan Gilbert is slated to start Game 162 on Wednesday against Detroit, presuming that proves to be a meaningful game — if, say, the No. 1 wild card seed is on the line. (If it’s not a meaningful game, the Mariners could turn to Chris Flexen or recall Justus Sheffield to start that final game and keep Gilbert fresh for the first playoff series.)