Mariners vs. White Sox Wednesday MLB probable pitchers, odds: Seattle on another eight-game win streak, now heavy favorite for playoffs

Many MLB franchises will go several seasons without putting together an eight-game winning streak. The Seattle Mariners are on their second eight-game run not just of the 2023 season, but of this month as they look to complete a sweep at the White Sox this afternoon. Behind George Kirby, the M's are -215 favorites per the SportsLine consensus.

Seattle actually started August with a home loss to Boston to fall to 55-52, but now the M's are 71-55, just one game out of the AL West lead and hold the Junior Circuit's final wild card spot. To play extra baseball for the second year in a row – which followed the longest active MLB playoff drought – the Mariners are now -250 at DraftKings, with No at +210.

The Mariners pounded the White Sox by a combined score of 20-5 in the first two games of the series despite red-hot superstar Julio Rodriguez missing both with an illness. It's not yet clear if he will play Wednesday. The Mariners have multiple eight-game win streaks within a season for the first time since 2001. That year they won 116 games, tied for the most in MLB history with the 1906 Cubs. Seattle hadn't made the playoffs since until last year.

Seattle is the first team with multiple eight-game winning streaks ib a calendar month since the Dodgers in July 2017 and the first team to do it in August or later since the Orioles in August 1980. The rest of MLB has two eight-game winning streaks this month combined (Dodgers and Rangers). What is rather unusual is that Seattle had a three-game losing streak in between these eight-game runs.

There's a good chance the current streak reaches nine behind the stellar Kirby, who is 10-8 with a 3.23 ERA. He leads the majors in WHIP (1.02), walks-per-9 innings (0.8) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.50). Kirby's 14 walks allowed this season are tied for fewest in franchise history in a pitcher's first 24 starts in a season. He has never faced the White Sox.

Inconsistent right-hander Michael Kopech (5-11, 5.12 ERA) starts for Chicago. He was crushed last time out by Colorado and is 2-6 with a 7.58 ERA (32 ER/38.0 IP) with 37 walks and 28 strikeouts in his last eight starts. Kopech has a 1.80 ERA in 10 career innings vs. Seattle but hasn't gotten a decision.

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