The tease might be the worst part.
Every so often, the Mariners put forth the sort of tidy game that makes you think that a playoff team really does lurk within. They get the combination of crisp starting pitching, timely hitting, clean defense and shutdown relief that sparks a strong sense of déjà vu from last year's playoff run.
You know how Kraken announcer John Forslund likes to declare after each of their wins, "That's Kraken hockey, baby!" Well, in those intermittent cases, "That's Mariner baseball, baby!" — or at least the idealized version that has been far too elusive this year.
