THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: M's are good enough where Astros, Rangers might not matter

Apologies.

This isn’t a correct analogy.

I want to use it anyway, though, because it came from legendary Dodgers voice Vin Scully.

The first time I heard Vin use it, I thought it was so clever (and accurate) that someday I’d find a situation where I could share it.

And here we are.

The Dodgers were in the sixth or seventh inning one night, and starting pitcher Don Sutton was tiring.

It was time for help from the bullpen.

L.A. was leading by a run at the time, but the Cubs had two runners on base with one out — runners that belonged to Sutton.

Meanwhile, Scully was putting a bow on proceedings.

Referring to Sutton’s responsibility for the game, Vin came up with the line I’ve remembered all these years (so I could repeat it for you).

He said: “Sutton can win it. He can lose it. Or he can have nothing to do with it.”

Please recall that I confessed the analogy wasn’t exactly correct.

Except.

The Mariners DO have three possible outcomes in front of them as the AL West and wild-card playoff races hit the final stretch.

YES, THE Mariners could finally, finally topple Houston and win the West.

Although.

Most fans are forgetting that Seattle could leave the Astros in a ditch and STILL not win the division.

The annoying Rangers have won about a thousand straight games or something like that — much like they did in 2023, when they captured the club’s first-ever World Series.

Ironically, the Rangers did not win the division that year; and in fact, haven’t done so since 2016.

Houston took over at that point, a hideous time known to historians as the Era of the Garbage Can.

The current Rangers are winning and winning despite losing another player to the injured list every night.

The Rangers currently have 11 players on the injured list.

That includes star infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, outfielders Evan Carter and Adolis García, starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and reliever Danny Coulombe, who was one of their key trade deadline additions.

Meanwhile, the Rangers keep replacing their wounded front-liners with ex-Mariners.

Rowdy Tellez, Dylan Moore and Donovan Solono have been signed by Texas after being DFA’d by Seattle.

Meanwhile, the Rangers also have Mariners castoff Sam Haggerty still on the roster as a utility piece.

How is this team still winning?

The answer is probably manager Bruce Bochy, who is just really good at this sort of thing – as four World Series rings would attest.

(One slightly pleasant note: The Mariners hold a tiebreaker over Texas by virtue of head-to-head series supremacy. Any tie, for the division or the wild card, would go to Seattle.)

Houston has been missing critical pieces, as well, although some are now returning.

Terrifying slugger Yordan Alvarez is just now back after missing most of the season.

The Astros’ special sauce is experience.

Like Bochy, they’ve won so much that they sometimes just do it by habit.

SO, ARE the Mariners likely to be the team left by the roadside here?

Well, they’re not habitual winners like the other two, but you can argue (and I am) that Seattle is better than either of the other two combatants in the West.

With the addition of Josh Naylor — one of the game’s underrated stars — and Eugenio Suarez, the M’s have one of the most potent lineups in MLB.

They’ve even learned how to hit in critical situations once in a while.

That 13th-inning, walk-off homer by Leo Rivas against the Cards on Wednesday night was proof that the Mariners can burn you from top to bottom.

I’m also encouraged by a developing bullpen, which finally has fallen into place.

Andres Munoz and Matt Brash figured to be lights out, but now there are the complementary arms of Gabe Speier, Eduard Bazardo (love him), newcomer Caleb Ferguson, Carlos Vargas and Luke Jackson.

Late-season baseball is dominated by relievers, and Seattle’s pen has an ERA of 3.54, third-best in the game.

Even better, its four studs — Munoz, Brash, Bazardo and Speier — each have ERAs at 2.82 or lower with more than 40 innings pitched.

They are the only team in MLB with those back-end numbers.

What Seattle needs most is for its starters (besides Bryan Woo) to hold up and keep games competitive.

If they do, the Mariners can win anything.

Or everything.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”