[jaa36]

AG: Hello, I'm Aaron Goldsmith, here with me is Jerry Dipoto, and once again, this is The Wheelhouse. Jerry, thanks for being here.

JD: Glad to be here.

AG: Well, it had been a bit of a slide for the M's, with seven losses in eight games, but is the team back on track with three wins in the last four games?

JD: I think so. Every team has a tough couple of weeks here and there. I think we're still in very good shape, still three games up on Boston for the second Wild Card.

AG: Overall it's a really strong field of contenders this year, with the Red Sox having won eight straight games, and the A's just two games behind them. And meanwhile, a couple of teams that have really struggled in the Tigers and the Orioles, who are both well on their way to a hundred losses.

JD: Things have been a bit more polarized than usual this year. In a lot of year, a record of 72-53 like we are would get you first place, but we're twelve and a half games behind the Astros at this point!

AG: A really good week for Kyle Seager, who won the AL Player of the Week after hitting .417 with four home runs. That was actually the sixth time a Mariner had won the award this year- not too shabby! What's Kyle doing at the plate these days?

JD: Yeah, he hit those home runs in four consecutive games. Halfway to Griffey's team record. He's just given us consistent at-bats all season. He went through a bit of a cold spell at the beginning of August, but he's right back at it, hitting a lot of balls in the air to right field. Having him and Mitch Haniger playing well really gives our lineup some length.

AG: A couple of stressful wins this week, and probably none more so than Wednesday's game. You got five good innings out of Marco Gonzales, and then right to Juan Nicasio.

JD: Well, since we had gotten blown out so much recently, our best relievers were pretty well rested! So yeah, we went with Juan and then Edwin Diaz for more than an inning each, and I don't know if it was rust or just good at-bats from the A's, but both of them got hit around a bit.

AG: The end result was that a four-run lead had evaporated heading into the ninth, but then Dee Gordon managed to get one deep enough to score a run on a sac fly, and it was back to Diaz in the ninth.

JD: And I think we saw angry Edwin Diaz there. Struck out the side and really made them look silly.

AG: Speaking of the bullpen, what a month it's been for Nick Rumbelow! Two saves this week, the first two of his career. Now twelve consecutive scoreless innings.

JD: Nick's really been a great addition to our pen. His change-up has been just devastating, a real weapon against righties and lefties, and it's allowed Scott Servais to trust him even when the game's on the line. We've been very pleased with his work this year.

AG: It's been almost five months at this point, and other than Erasmo Ramirez starting the season a couple of weeks late, we've got a pitcher in the rotation missing a few turns for the first time in Mike Leake. It's actually his first trip to the DL in his life. What's the prognosis?

JD: Mike has really been durable over the course of his career. As you know, he came right out of college into the majors years ago almost a decade ago and has just given his teams innings from day one. He's got some forearm tendinitis- we don't think it's a major injury, he just needs a little bit of rest, and it's actually an opportune time because we can get by with just four starters the next week or two because of the way the off-days fall.

AG: Jerry, the Mariners heading into the last month of the season in good shape to potentially break their 17-year postseason drought. What's your best pennant-race story?

JD: Sad to say, Aaron, among the Indians, Mets and Rockies, I never really had a true pennant race. 1994 would have been a dogfight with the White Sox, but you know how that year turned out...

AG: A real shame that the strike came when it did, for your team's sake. Well, looking ahead, you've got three games at home against Houston, then three in Arizona. With the addition of Kevin Pillar, will we see Nellie Cruz out in left field again?

JD: (laughs) Nellie would love to play left field every day. We'll see if we can fit him in against a lefty. And if not, he'll be a pretty good weapon off the bench.

AG: OK, Jerry. Before we end up, let's take a question from the audience. This one coming at you from J.D. in Vancouver, Canada. The question is, who do you see making an impact with the club after September call-ups?

JD: Great question. It'll really help us to get some more arms in the bullpen, and a few more reserve options to give our starters a break. We picked up a young catcher named Tomas Telis recently who's played a bit with the Marlins, and he should see some time with us. Dan Vogelbach and Guillermo Heredia will be back. Jon Jay is another guy we picked up as a minor-league free agent after he was let go by the Royals earlier this year. Among the pitchers, we're not totally sure yet, but Dan Altavilla will be back, at a minimum.

AG: OK, Jerry. Well, good luck with the remainder of the dog days of August. Thanks for joining us again.

JD: You bet.

AG: Until next week, this is The Wheelhouse.