Crawford's late heroics lift Mariners to 13th straight win

ARLINGTON -- At this point, all Scott Servais can do is laugh. He and the players know what the team is capable of, but no one could have predicted how far the Mariners would take their winning streak. And it’s not even over yet.

“Come on, man,” Servais said. What more can you say about a team that’s won 13 straight games?

He said it Thursday, and it’s still relevant Saturday after the Mariners’ 3-2 win over the Rangers in 10 innings: “Incredible.”

The Mariners have now won 21 of their past 24 games since June 21 -- a Major League best -- as well as eight consecutive series with a chance to pull off their fourth straight sweep in Sunday’s series finale before the All-Star break.

Seattle is one game shy of matching the longest winning streak in the Majors this season, which was set at 14 games by Atlanta from June 1-15, and two games shy from matching a franchise record 15 straight wins that was accomplished during their historic 2001 season.

The Mariners have seen a number of close wins during this 13-game stretch, but this time shortstop J.P. Crawford was the hero of the day.

After missing the first two games of the series with a bruised right index finger, Crawford returned to the lineup Saturday and pushed across the game-winning run with an RBI single in the 10th inning.

“I was gonna be playing no matter what today,” Crawford said. “Two days was enough.”

Crawford’s late heroics wouldn’t have been possible without the speedy Sam Haggerty. The same guy who showed off his wheels with his first inside-the-park home run in the series opener put the Mariners in a position to win in the 10th inning.

Haggerty made his first appearance of the game that inning as the pinch-runner for Santana, the automatic runner at second base. Though he wasn’t in the lineup, he was still paying attention. So, when Haggerty was called on to pinch-run for Santana, he knew what he had to do.

“Haggerty is coming to me, and he said, ‘Hey skip, I know you got to get third base on this one,’” Servais said. “Even though he’s not in the game at the time, he’s paying attention even before, knowing that he may end up in the game. Sure enough, there he is.

“I said, ‘[Haggerty], if you feel it, take it. Don’t play scared, OK. Don’t play scared. You gotta play to win, and that’s what we’re doing.’”

Haggerty stole third base easily as Rangers catcher Jonah Heim didn’t even try to nab him. Once he was in position, all the Mariners needed was that one hit to take the lead again.

With a one-run game on the line, right-hander Matthew Festa rose to the occasion and struck out the side in the bottom of the inning to secure the win and earn his first career save.

It’s only July, but this winning streak and this series have launched Seattle through the standings.

“It’s crazy right now,” Crawford said. “After last year, I didn’t think the team could get any closer than what we were.”

Last season, the Mariners fell just short of clinching an American League Wild Card spot. This season is obviously a different story.

On July 1st, the Mariners were sitting at 37-42, with a handful of teams in front of them fighting for the same spot.

Fifteen days later, they’re 50-42 with the second AL Wild Card spot in hand. All they need to do now is hold on until October.