The Seattle Mariners are going to clinch a postseason berth this week. In all likelihood, they are going to win the AL West for the first time since 2001. And it is increasingly likely that they will end up with a first-round bye if and when they finish with the second-best record in the American League. If they simply split the final six games of the season, they will get to 90 wins.

Drayer: The first-place Mariners explain why it’s all coming together now

We can now safely expect every single one of those outcomes. But that sure wasn’t the case six months ago as we settled in for the start of the season. Most projections and predictions (including my own) ranged from 83-87 wins and very few were mentioning this team among the top contenders in the league.

What changed? How has this te

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