Didn't see the game (was busy enjoying kids and grandkids), only found out about the results last night. Cryin' shame.
The point about even meatball pitchers are capable of shutting you down in any single game: The Mariners have had an AWFUL LOT of such individual games lately, the 10-run outburst on Friday being the lone exception to the rule since the 8-game winning streak. Set against Friday are what, four or five or six games that follow Saturday's template.
Lesson #1-- you can't pull off longshot late-season runs if you repeatedly make meatball pitchers look like aces in the box score.
Lesson #2-- if you intend to make the playoffs, you'd better not put yourself in a position where you need to make longshot late-season runs.
As I think on it, it seems that the M's ran into a series of games starting with C.C. Sabathia's where they faced good pitchers who pitched at the top of their game. That seemed to throw the team into an offensive funk that continued against marginal pitchers. Any long-time baseball watcher has seen this phenomenon before. One moment you're leading MLB in runs scored in September, then bing, bang, boom a couple of really good pitchers throw really well against you and next thing you know you can't hit the broad side of a barn, much less a baseball, even facing 1998-vintage Bobby Ayala.
So, whadda the M's need to do now? Only lose 1 game the rest of the way and hope the stars align in other games affecting your chase. Each of the next few games almost becomes an elimination game. So you're saying we have a chance?