Great atmosphere following Mariners

The Mariners might not be contending for the playoffs this season, but they're sure getting a chance to experience the pennant-race atmosphere thanks to their recent schedule. As the Mariners finish up their eight-game road trip on Wednesday with a game against the White Sox, they will be concluding their fifth straight series, encompassing 15 games, against teams either leading their division or extremely close. The last five series for Seattle have been against the Twins (second place by one game), Rays (first place), Angels (first place), Twins and White Sox (first place). And while the Mariners have struggled so far during the stretch, they definitely have been exposed to a certain type of competition -- one manager Jim Riggleman thinks is healthy for the club. "I think it's good experience for our players to play in that... [read full story]