.

Q.  Did Servais say that was the FIRST center field homer of K-Swag's ENTIRE CAREER at Safeco?

A.  He's a little guy compared to Boomstick.  Seager is really good at pulling the ball in the air when he gets his pitch.  It rather underlines the way Kyle Seager has cut a major league career like a Bansai tree, through intelligence and force of will.

Despite his somewhat-low BABIP this year, his stats are floating back up towards his career norms.  He's slugging .440 on the year (in Safeco) and the SLG is .524 the last month.  There are few predictions the Mainframe makes with a 95% coefficient of confidence, but Kyle Seager's reliability is definitely in that territory.

We're lucky to have him.  He might not be Mariner Mt. Rushmore but he is next level from that.  He's already got more career WAR than Jay Buhner. 

.

Q.  Did Ben Gamel almost trip again running the bases on that triple?!  Is he really that good against lefties?

A.  Mo' Dawg has been reminding us of Gamel vs LHP for a long time.  He's looked good against righties and he's looked bona fide All-Star against lefties.  He turned around an Aroldis Chapman fastball the other day, IIRC, and he's unbelEEVably tough against LOOGY sliders away.

I dunno what that Gwynn-like ability LH on LH means for the rook, but I bet it means something good.

Nobody accused him (or Seth Smith!) of having Ichiro Suzuki's flowery grace in cleats.....

.

Q.  They've scored 4+ to 9 runs now --- > in six out of these eight games against elite teams so far.

A.  Which is better than anybody has a right to do.  They went against McCullers, against a 96-101 MPH Severino (who is #5 in the league in FIP), against nuclear bullpens, against tough starters every single time out.  They're not scoring 12 runs every other game but Dipoto has lengthened his lineup, they're controlling the zone, and delivering the scoreboard water of life in some very arid pitching deserts.

Playoff offense for sure.

...

Does Dr. D concur with the idea that the M's had to post a solidly .600, .700 record against the Astros, Yankees and Red Sox to prove themselves championship-worthy?  Nah, he'll take the other side of that one.

Is 'cause nobody said the M's were dominantly the #1 team in the league.  They ain't!  The ugly truth:  the 2017 Mariners are not, and will not be, head-and-shoulders better than the Astros and Yankees.  And they don't have to be.

Whatever Dipoto is building, he hasn't got a 105-win team yet.  That's not a tragedy.  Pat Gillick his ownself was guilty of the philosophy, "Win 90 and hope things go your way in the playoffs."  If this particular team wins it all, it will be on such a basis.

.

Q.  We notice that James Paxton is #2 in the league in Fielding-Independent Pitching (FIP) to the epic Chris Sale.  Or is that remark okay in this half of the postgame.

A.  10+ strikeouts, 2+ walks and 0.45 homers leaves you in pretty good shape for the saberdweebs.  Good thing for the league that only part of it has been posted by "Zeus."

Go Felix,

jemanji