A deeper look

We're all running out of adjectives to describe the 13-2 start to the Mariner's season.  And for good reason.  Scoring this much, hitting these many home runs in consecutive games, the team is putting itself in the record book.  Doing anything that breaks a record of the 1932 Yankees of Ruth, Gehrig and Dickey is legitimately noteworthy.  And all those dingers are undeniably dramatic and satisfying, at least to power freaks like me.

But there are a couple of other, less exciting, but maybe very important stats that tell us something about this team.  The M's lead everyone else in MLB in hit batters, stolen bases and sacrifice flies and they are second in walks.  First in doubles, first in all hits for that matter.  All that adds up to first in runs.

It is the walks, stolen base and sac flies that catches my attention.  These numbers simply verify what we've been seeing.  This team can players get on base, move them and score them.  As the last two wins have shown, the homers can be a difference maker.  But just as noteworthy, ten of Seattle's last 13 runs came not from home runs, but other devices.  Indeed on Wednesday two score in one inning with no hits at all.  A nice trick, one suggesting there is more to the team than home runs.