Mariners Win 7 Straight, Climb to First in AL West

The Seattle Mariners just proved they know how to win the games that matter most.

On Monday night, rookie Cole Young drove in the winning run in the 10th inning, giving Seattle a 3-2 victory over the Mets. The win extended their season-high streak to seven games and pushed them 2.5 games ahead in the American League West.

Just one week ago, the Mariners were struggling at 25-29. Now they're 32-29 and climbing above .500 for the first time since opening week.

Young's walk-off single came right after teammate Randy Arozarena made a gutsy steal of third base on a full count. The 22-year-old Young calmly poked the ball to left field, looking completely comfortable in the high-pressure moment.

"It just makes hitting so much easier," Young said about having Arozarena on third, which forced the infield to play shallow.

The heroics followed home runs from Colt Emerson and Josh Naylor, whose seventh-inning blast tied the game. Pitcher Emerson Hancock threw another quality start in what's becoming a breakout season for him.

The Bright Side

What makes this streak special isn't just the wins. It's how the Mariners are winning.

Three of their last seven victories came in extra innings by one run. Those are exactly the types of nail-biters they kept losing in April and May, when they posted a dismal 6-12 record in one-run games.

Now they're unforgiving on the mound, disciplined at the plate, and fundamentally sound in the field. They're playing like the talented team everyone expected them to be at the start of the season.

"It's hard to win seven games in a row," Hancock said. "Each game has just been a complete team win."

The team that once looked lost has found its rhythm at exactly the right time.