Just saw this over at the Mariners blog Lookout Landing:
The Mariners had been playing well. Most recently, they were on a six-game winning streak, nearly pulling themselves to .500. Over the course of that streak, the pitching was unbelievable, the defense was good, and the offense was timely. The team still had problems, but the winning hid them away, and I think we were all guilty of getting caught up a little bit. Look how well the Mariners were playing! Why wouldn't they keep playing that well? The winning streak allowed us to savor the success but turn a rather blind eye to the weaknesses on the roster.
The loss jars our heads out of the clouds and brings us back to reality.
What's up, Mariners fans? It looks like we've all got a lot in common. Let's get a coffee sometime. We even forgive your team for taking Ken Griffey Jr. with the first pick back in '87 and leaving Mark Merchant to us, but don't be surprised if the Bucs try to pull something similar here in a couple weeks.