Bats Clock Out Early, Mariners Drop Five Games Under in Game 111
The Mariners are five games under .500 for the second time this year. The first time was 25 games into the season, when they had a 4-9 record after an ugly sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers. From then until the 62nd game of the year on June 2, they went 23-14 to take the division away from the Athletics and put themselves in the catbird seat as the team everyone expected to pull away with the West.
Two months later, the story of the AL West in 2026 could be summarized by paraphrasing the Sumerian King List: “Who was in first? Who was not in first?” But you don’t need a familiarity with 4,000-year-old Mesopotamian literature to see how the Mariners have dropped the ball and allowed the Rangers, then the Astros, to climb into first place. The bats have gone awfully quiet in the nearly 50 games since, with a .225/.297/.352 team slash line from June 3 to July 30. By the time the M’s faced off against the Twins on Friday, they were 53-57 and uncomfortably close to falling out of the race entirely.
When Mitch Garver struck out and finished a 5-3 loss, the situation declined even further. The M’s are now three games back of the division-leading Astros, two and a half games back of the Rangers for second place, and three games back of the Twins and Guardians for the third wild card spot. They are guaranteed a losing season record against the Guardians and Rangers - effectively making them a game further behind those teams - while one more loss to the Twins would lock in that same losing tiebreaker with them, too.
The bats fell asleep for six innings and missed opportunities throughout.
If the Mariners ever got the chance to wish into existence one simple change to their team, it might be prudent to choose the ability to punish mistakes. Underneath much of it, Seattle has a remarkably bad performance against pitches right down the middle: against pitches in the middle square of the strike zone - imagine it split like a tic-tac-toe grid - the M’s went into Friday night with the lowest batting average (.275), fifth-lowest slugging (.552), and sixth-lowest hard-hit rate (49.1%). These become even more stark when sorting for just fastball-type pitches: the lowest batting average (.279), third-lowest slugging (.522), and fifth-lowest hard-hit rate (51.9%).
Part of it is due to some bum luck, with a .234 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) on such pitches; one might imagine it would coalesce towards the .306 leaguewide middle-middle BABIP. The following graph shows the difference in spray locations between the Mariners and the team with both the highest batting average and highest slugging on pitches down the middle, the Phillies:
Gonzaga Guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa Flashes Tools For France in EuroBasket
Although he will likely play a limited role for the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2025-26 season, 18-year-old Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa is gaining more competitive experience on the international stage.
The 6-6 guard suited up for France at the FIBA U20 EuroBasket competition, hosted in Slovenia during July. France went 5-2, eventually falling to Spain in the third-place match. Ekanga-Ehawa flashed promising traits and tools that drew the Zags to him, while also showing areas where he needs improvement before he can become a regular rotation contributor in Spokane.
Sounders Injury Luck Worsens as Yeimar, Dotson Hurt in Training
The Seattle Sounders' luck just keeps getting worse.
Fresh off a five-game losing streak due in part to a rash of injuries, the Rave Green were looking to return standout center back Yeimar from a hamstring injury that's had him out since early spring.
But he and midfielder Hassani Dotson picked up new multi-week injuries at training this week, per coach Brian Schmetzer on Friday, to further dampen the spirits. Yeimar, who was coming off a hamstring injury and in line to return soon, picked up a calf injury to put him 4-6 weeks away from seeing the field
Seattle is 7-6-3 (eighth in Western Conference) as it heads into a rematch with a rival Portland Timbers side (6-8-3, 10th) this Saturday night at Providence Park.
Demond Williams Jr. Must Show Growth On and Off Field for Huskies to Reach Potential
Demond Williams Jr. turned 20 just a few months ago, but he’s no longer young by college football standards.
Entering his second full season as the unchallenged starting quarterback for a Washington Huskies football team with high expectations — for his play and the team’s — Williams must grow up quickly.
The “He’s young” days are over. He’s no longer the raw kid inserted into games as a true freshman before starting the final two games of the 2024 season. He’s not a first-time, full-time teenage starter behind center like he was in 2025.
Williams is a junior with 15 starts under his belt, earning $4-plus million — none of which can be used to buy excuses.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Drop 8th in a Row vs. Dream
The Seattle Storm made multiple late-game surges to try and erase their deficit, but it wasn’t quite enough in a 98-89 loss to the Atlanta Dream on Friday, July 31, at the Gateway Center.
Natisha Hiedeman led Seattle (6-25) with 23 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals — one game separated from her career-best night against the Indiana Fever. Dominique Malonga posted 16 points and 13 rebounds on an efficient 8-of-10 shooting.
Seattle lost its eighth straight game and is nearing elimination from playoff contention.
Atlanta (18-10) was led by 21 points, 13 rebounds and two steals from Angel Reese. Naz Hillmon was the Dream’s second-leading scorer with 18 points.
How Should Mariners Approach Deadline Four Games Under .500 Yet Still in Playoff Hunt?
The Mariners certainly know what they’re doing wrong after they dropped their latest series to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday with a 6-2 loss.
“Yeah, it’s up to us,” Bryan Woo said after his five-run, five-inning losing outing. “The front office and coaches and everybody has put enough into the product on the field. It’s time for us to do something about it.”
But they don’t quite know how. The team has a consistent discipline issue, careening between lethargic defeatism and frantic efforts to arrest their decline. The failures of the latter cause the team to return to lethargy, and the cycle repeats on a near-nightly basis.
With this in mind, how should the Mariners approach the upcoming 2026 trade deadline? They have a few more days than they would otherwise have most years - with the deadline set for Aug. 3 - but the hour is fast approaching when they have to decide on tune-ups, changes, and deals.
The team is in an odd spot. It’s not a situation where they can reasonably go out and get one-year rentals like they did in 2025, but it’s also not a sell situation, either; they could very well still go on a run and make a splash in the playoffs. An intuitive approach for Seattle is to deal away upcoming free agents in exchange for longer-term options, but those sort of minor sales would have to be augmented by long-term options for the relevant team (say, a prospect). The M’s also have a bunch of starting pitchers, including near-MLB prospects, allowing them to trade from that pool to deepen other areas of the team.
One thing they cannot do is stand completely pat. Beyond that, however, it’s prudent to examine the attitudes that the Mariners might have about their trade deadline situation; there are lots of ways to skin a catfish, after all.
Camp Takeaways: Tempers Flare, Tight Ends Explode for Seahawks in Heated Sixth Practice
Calling themselves a brotherhood, the Seattle Seahawks have as tight knit of a locker room as any to be found in the NFL, which played a crucial role in their recent run to a Super Bowl LX title.
But as any parent who has raised children understands all too well, that doesn’t mean that brothers don’t still fight from time to time, especially on a practice field in late July during the dog days of summer.
With ramped up intensity matching the rising 80-plus degree temperatures on the practice field in Friday afternoon’s second padded practice, coach Mike Macdonald and his staff had to step in to break up multiple skirmishes with tempers flaring on both sides. Most of the discontent came at the line of scrimmage, stemming from tensions that initially started to brew during one-on-one drills when guard Bryce Cabeldue appeared to get under the skin of a few of his defensive line mates.
Sure enough, without enough time to cool down in the heat of a competitive camp practice, those festering emotions boiled over midway through Seattle’s first 11-on-11 team period. Getting the ball rolling, defensive tackle Leonard Williams sprinted 15 yards downfield to tackle AJ Barner from behind in pursuit, something the tight end did not appreciate as the two started jawing at each other post-whistle.
Staying the Course, Emanuel Wilson Looks to Make Impact in Seahawks’ Retooled Backfield
For NFL hopefuls playing college ball below the Division I ranks, the pathway to the league features no shortage of obstacles, with the most obvious issue revolving around receiving enough exposure to jump onto the radar for scouts.
In the case of Seattle Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson, who joined the team as a free agent in March, the Roanoke, Virginia native spent time with not one, but two Division II programs at the college level, originally signing with Johnson C. Smith University before transferring to Fort Valley State in 2020. Neither institution would be mistaken as an NFL developmental mecca, though Fort Valley has had 14 players suit up for games in the league, including a former first round pick in cornerback Tyrone Poole, making it a challenge to get noticed away from the spotlight on Division I teams.
But throughout his college journey, Wilson’s coaches at both Johnson C. Smith and Fort Valley State regularly preached their belief that he had the skills to earn a shot in the NFL if he took advantage of his opportunity. By his senior season in 2022, scouts started to descend on Fort Valley to get a closer look at the battering 220-pound back, and what once looked like a pipe dream suddenly became a real possibility.
“Once I transferred, [Johnson C. Smith] coach Marquise Flowers, he always told me that I had the talent to go to the next level,” Wilson said. “And when he got the head coaching job, he wanted me to come back, but I stayed at Fort Valley. And Coach [Shawn] Gibbs, he always told me, ‘don't let somebody make you, you make your own self.’ So once the scouts started coming to the practice, I knew I had a chance.”
Trading for Former Nemesis Could Help Save Mariners Season
The calendar is about to switch to August. The trade deadline is nearly upon us. This marathon of a baseball season will soon turn into a sprint towards October. The Seattle Mariners have yet to hit their stride. Now, time is running out.
The Rangers and Astros are improving and will surely look to upgrade themselves at the deadline in the battle for the AL West crown. The prevailing narrative for this MLB trade deadline is that many teams want to upgrade their offense, especially with a right-handed power bat. The supply cannot meet demand, therefore the sellers have the leverage.
The Mariners need big jolt into their offense as they sit at 53-57, 2 1/2 games out of first place in the AL West. Their offense has sputtered most of the year, ranking 28th in team OPS. Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor have been massive disappointments this season. If Seattle is going to turn this around, they need these two to hit like they have in the past, regardless of who the Mariners bring in.
The trade deadline is a time to set aside old grudges. The Mariners have been hurt in the playoffs by certain players recently. Of course, who could forget Houston's Yordan Alvarez? He might as well be Darth Vader in Seattle. But a more recent villain could be in play for a possible upgrade in the lineup.
Camp Takeaways: Running Backs to Take on Bigger Role in Seahawks’ Passing Game Under Brian Fleury
On the way to the second Super Bowl victory in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks put up sizzling offensive numbers, including setting a new single season record for points scored and finishing eighth in the league in passing yards.
Leading the charge, Jaxon Smith-Njigba recorded 119 catches for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns, joining Shaun Alexander as the second Seahawk to win Offensive Player of the Year honors. Away from the rising superstar, Sam Darnold had plenty of other capable weapons at his disposal, including Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, and standout tight end AJ Barner.
But for as much success as Seattle had attacking opponents through the air last season with former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak calling plays, the team managed to do so without relying much on running backs as receivers. Contrasting from Kyle Shanahan’s offense in San Francisco, the Seahawks finished 31st in targets (63) and 28th in catches (53) without a single touchdown reception from running backs in 2025, only utilizing former starter Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet sparingly in that fashion.
With a new play caller in Brian Fleury now at the wheel replacing the departed Kubiak, however, as Bob Dylan once wrote, the times they are a-changing in the Pacific Northwest.
Jordan Washington Injury Situation Clarifies Huskies Running Back Room
The cloudy Washington Huskies running back situation received some clarity Thursday at the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago.
As long suspected, Jordan Washington will not be ready to join the team in August, and it will be “a reach” to play this season, head coach Jedd Fisch told On Montlake’s Christian Caple.
After leaving Husky Stadium in an ambulance on April 4 during the first week of spring football, the third-year running back remains in “major rehab-type, physical therapy,” Fisch told Caple while explaining that Washington remains hopeful to play football again.
Mariners' Loss to Dodgers Highlights Trade Deadline Needs
The M’s tried to build on their triumphant win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night but ultimately fell short, losing 4-2 after a late comeback was snuffed out by former Mariner closer Edwin Díaz in his return from injury.
Falling back down to earth, the Mariners played as they have all year. Fielding mistakes and an inability to hit left-handed pitching again plagued a roster talented enough to contend for a World Series. Against the defending champions, the Mariners struggled to match Los Angeles for most of the night.
With the MLB trade deadline less than a week away - unusually set for Aug. 3 - Wednesday’s game showed that Seattle needs to make some moves to go on a playoff run. Roster additions will help, but internal improvement remains just as important.
Struggles Against Lefties Return
The Mariners teed off in the opener of the series against Justin Wrobleski on Tuesday night, plating five runs against the Dodgers left-hander. It was a performance that instilled hope for the M’s that their yearlong struggles against southpaws were perhaps being mended. But they followed that up with a batting dud against southpaw Eric Lauer, who hurled six scoreless innings while only allowing one hit and one walk.
Will Stars Align for Jadeveon Clowney, Seahawks Reunion?
When general manager John Schneider and the Seattle Seahawks swing and miss on a coveted player in free agency, they always keep the door open for the future, further evidenced by a pair of signings made by the team this offseason.
Per the players themselves, EDGE rusher Dante Fowler Jr. and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene received significant interest from the Seahawks as free agents prior to the 2025 season, but they wound up signing with the Cowboys and Commanders respectively. Fast forwarding one year later, the defending Super Bowl champs made a run at each of them once again, this time signing both players to one-year contracts to help offset the departures of Boye Mafe and Riq Woolen.
Keeping that in mind, a report from Aaron Wilson of KPRC Houston indicating the Seahawks have interest in a reunion with defensive end Jadeveon Clowney shouldn’t come as a surprise at all. Last summer, Schneider made overtures to the former No. 1 overall pick, who previously played in Seattle back in 2019, but he ultimately opted to sign with Dallas midway through training camp.
Seattle Soccer Update: Reign, Dickey Get Back on Track While Ailing Sounders Prepare for Portland
Claudia Dickey isn't exactly easy on herself.
As the Seattle Reign tumbled down the NWSL standings ahead of the June CBA break, winning one of their last six games, the starting goalkeeper took the blame for nine goals the team gave up in that stretch. A struggling Seattle offense went scoreless in five straight games, leaving itself vulnerable to attacks the other way and goals Dickey couldn't have prevented, but the 26-year-old knows the standard she's set for herself.
"I'm tough on myself," Dickey told The Spectrum over the phone on Wednesday.
This past year, Dickey has made four starts for the U.S. Women's National Team, becoming a regular call-up in the lead-up to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. Alongside another NWSL star in Utah's Mandy McGlynn, Dickey has been in a battle as the rights to start for the most high-profile women's soccer team in the world are on the line.
But in all the excitement of last year's June national team camp in Brazil, Dickey suffered what she thought was a muscle injury around her foot on day one of camp. She missed the U.S.'s opening loss to Brazil before returning days later to tab a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over the hosts.
When she got back to Seattle, however, she got a further scan of the injured region and found out it was a bone bruise on the top of her foot, The Spectrum learned Wednesday. She would be sidelined for Seattle's first three games back from the break, watching the Reign go 1-2-0 as reserve Cassie Miller made some spectacular saves in a 2-0 win over Portland.
Dickey, who didn't miss a single game in 2025 after becoming the definitive starter a few seasons after being drafted in the second round by Seattle in 2022, took on the challenge of her reserve shining.
"Being challenged every day in training, like the goalkeeper group we had… we're pushing each other to be the best," Dickey said.
She proved why she's under consideration for a starting spot with the USWNT this past Sunday, making her return to the field to the tune of a career-high eight saves vs. the San Diego Wave in a statement 2-0 win. Diving stops, reflex saves and a trot far beyond the 18-yard box to stop a Wave attack characterized what's come to be known as a typical Dickey performance.
Five Mariners Homers Overcome Heavy-Hitting Dodgers in Chavez Ravine Thriller
The Mariners’ disastrous series against the Rangers finally put to rest the notion of the team as the AL West favorite, with a 52-55 record and a two and a half game deficit in the division with a month-long gauntlet fast approaching. What had been true for the whole season was now eminently evident to the entirety of the dugout: that both greater commitment and greater precision are needed in order to return to the playoffs, much less to the precipice of the pennant.
Iron, as they say, sharpens iron; who better to face than the two-time defending champion Dodgers? They immediately displayed why their offense is one of the best in baseball, working to quickly punish whatever Luis Castillo pitches leaked out over the plate. But the Mariners, needing a win to keep pace with the Rangers and Astros ahead of them, managed to put together a thrilling 7-6 victory on the backs of five home runs and some high-stress relief pitching.
It was the first Mariners win against the Dodgers since April 19, 2021. It was the first Mariners win in Dodger Stadium since June 28, 2009. To put it another way: the last time the M’s beat the Dodgers in the City of Angels, Rob Refsnyder was 18, Cal Raleigh was 12, Dominic Canzone was 11, and Julio Rodríguez was eight. Those were the four M’s to go deep on Tuesday.
Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez hit a homer in the same game for the first time since April.
Before the season began, the duo of Rodríguez and Raleigh were projected to accrue between five and six wins above replacement (WAR) each. With 55 games left in the season, Rodríguez had 1.8 FanGraphs WAR (fWAR) and Raleigh 0.5, each reflective of injury-shortened years with significant struggles - especially in the case of Raleigh, who had a .165/.269/.300 slash line going into Tuesday.
The struggling catcher found himself on the IL for roughly a month-long stretch of time straddling May and June, but he appeared set to roar back on the scene after a homer-studded rehab assignment in Tacoma. That ended up being a mirage; Raleigh had a .170/.304/.277 slash line between his return on June 16 and the end of the Rangers series on July 27. The power stroke was especially absent, as he had just three homers during these 33 games.
Gonzaga WBB Alum Ines Bettencourt Seeks Fifth Year of Eligibility
There were plenty of mixed emotions when Inês Bettencourt walked off the Williams Arena hardwood in Minnesota back on March 20. The starting point guard for Gonzaga women’s basketball had presumably played her final college game after four seasons split in Spokane and Storrs as a member of UConn.
But with the NCAA’s recent rule change, which adopted an age-based eligibility model that grants student-athletes five years to complete five seasons, Bettencourt has become one of many vying for a fifth and final collegiate season.
Joining a California lawsuit that includes at least 45 other athletes, Bettencourt searches for another year of eligibility in the NCAA because the new “5-in-5” rules don’t grandfather in the most recent graduating class. This 2022 recruiting class is filing for an injunction, and if granted, Bettencourt and the Zags could seek a reunion for the upcoming season.
‘Without Him, I Wouldn’t Be Here': How Dan Quinn Continues to Leave Indirect Imprint on Seahawks’ Defense
Exactly a decade before Mike Macdonald arrived as the franchise’s ninth head coach and quickly started assembling his own defensive juggernaut, the Seattle Seahawks built one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history, reaching back-to-back Super Bowls behind the vaunted “Legion of Boom” unit in 2013 and 2014.
Sporting the title of head coach, Pete Carroll deservedly received much of the credit for rapidly rebuilding a once-porous defense into one that likely will have multiple Hall of Famers in Canton down the road. General manager John Schneider also received deserved acclaim for reeling in outstanding draft classes from 2010 to 2012 to secure the foundation of a future Lombardi Trophy winner.
But behind the scenes, after replacing Gus Bradley in 2013, Dan Quinn emerged as the schematic architect of Seattle’s No. 1 ranked scoring defense, calling the plays on the sideline and maximizing on the team’s immense talent. Under his guidance, the Seahawks allowed under 16 points per game in his two seasons as defensive coordinator, carrying the team to consecutive Super Bowl appearances and using that success as the catapult into his first head coaching gig in Atlanta.
Now the head man for the Commanders and entering his third season with the franchise, Quinn hasn’t been employed by the Seahawks for a dozen seasons, far removed from his brief tenure as Carroll’s defensive play caller. Still, in an indirect, roundabout way, his presence has had a lingering impact on the team’s coaching staff, including current defensive coordinator Aden Durde getting his start working for Quinn with the Falcons and eventually teaming back up with him in Dallas, as well as the roster.
Instant Takeaways: Hiedeman’s Career Night Not Enough, Storm Fail Comeback Attempt
Natisha Hiedeman’s second career night in a span of about two weeks still wasn’t enough to break the Seattle Storm’s losing streak in a 105-95 loss to the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, July 28, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Hiedeman scored a game-high 33 points and helped lead multiple Storm comeback attempts, but it still wasn’t enough without Dominique Malonga (injured) on the floor. Seattle (6-24) dropped its seventh straight game and ninth of its last 10.
Indiana (18-10) was led by a combined 60 points from Caitlin Clark (32) and Kelsey Mitchell (28) in a game where they were short-handed in the second half. The Fever have now won four in a row and are 8-2 in their last 10 games.
Camp Takeaways: Rookie DBs Dazzle as Seahawks’ 2026 Draft Class Continues to Shine
The pads won’t start popping until later this week, providing a major caveat that encompasses any evaluations from four non-contact July practices. But heading into the first day off at training camp, the Seattle Seahawks continue to receive encouraging initial returns from their latest draft class.
The center of attention as Seattle’s top selection, Jadarian Price caught his second touchdown in as many days, this time hauling in a 30-yard wheel route from Jalen Milroe for six points and drawing an avalanche of cheers from the sellout crowd on the berm at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. As has been the case throughout camp thus far, the first round running back has seemingly been force fed in the passing game by new coordinator Brian Fleury, catching passes everywhere from the flats to down the sideline on deep patterns coming out of the backfield.
But while all eyes remained fixated on Price, and understandably so as a top-32 selection tabbed to succeed Super Bowl MVP Ken Walker III, it was two of the four defensive backs drafted by John Schneider in April who stole the show in Tuesday’s session with splashy plays on the back end of Mike Macdonald’s defense.
Seahawks’ Rylie Mills Looking to ‘Catapult’ Off Super Bowl Heroics With Clean Bill of Health
Drafted just four months after tearing his ACL during the College Football Playoff, Rylie Mills knew the start of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks would be the ultimate test of patience.
In the midst of a lengthy rehabilitation from reconstructive knee surgery, as the offseason program gave way to training camp, Mills could do little more than watch from the sidelines and hold up blocking dummies. Still far from returning to action, he stayed on the Physically Unable to Perform list into the start of the season, remaining inactive through November as speculation began to mount on whether or not the Seahawks would opt to shut him down with eyes on 2026 rather than bring him back late in his rookie season.
But all along, Seattle had a plan in place to ensure that if Mills checked off all the boxes in his recovery, he would receive the opportunity to earn his way onto the field, even if it didn’t happen until the final month of the season.
By the time the calendar flipped into December, Mills’ hard work and patience finally was rewarded with the Seahawks designating him to return to practice, opening his window to play in games after the long road back to health. Without the benefit of a training camp or any padded practices to help get back up to speed, the transition returning to game action proved to be what he called the “craziest experience” of his football career and then some, as the team threw him into the fire in a Week 15 win against the Colts after just two weeks of practice time.
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