It’s Crowded at the Top in the American League West Standings

The Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 5-4 on August 30th for the club’s 21st win this month. That gave the Mariners a 21-6 record for the month (they are off on the 31st), which is a franchise record for wins in August. Seattle has won 13 of 15 and was in 1st place in the American League West by one percentage point over the Houston Astros. Seattle is 76-57, with a .571 winning percentage, while Houston is 77-58 with a .570 winning percentage. The Texas Rangers are right behind with a 75-58 record and a .564 winning percentage. Texas is one game behind, making it a logjam at the top with three teams separated by seven percentage points.

All three clubs are off on the 31st, so Seattle will go into September in 1st place, albeit by the slimmest of margins, for the first time since 2001. That was the last year the Mariners won a division title; in fact that was the last time they made the post season until 2022, when they made it as a Wild Card. That 2001 club was 116-46, the most wins ever in a single season by an American League club. The Mariners beat Cleveland in a Division Series, but lost to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. Seattle has never been to the World Series; the franchise dates back to 1977.

The last 10 games of the season will likely be crucial to Seattle’s chances in the A.L. West race or for making the post season as a Wild Card. The Mariners will play three at Texas, followed by three at home vs. Houston, and then four at home against Texas.

Here’s some highlights from the August 30th win over Oakland: