After months of just hanging around, the Seattle Mariners (61-52) are starting to recapture the magic that propelled them into a momentous 2022 season. Tuesday, the club continued its climb up the American League Wild Card standings by staying true to its identity- pitching. And boy did Logan Gilbert deliver on that front.

The former first-round pick matched some special franchise history in the M's 2-0 home win over the San Diego Padres. He became just the team's second pitcher to throw 10-plus strikeouts while giving up one or fewer hits and walking no batters. Gilbert enters ratified air only shared by Felix Hernandez, who accomplished the same feat when he threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays in 2012.

Let that sink in. The 26-year-old right-hander just put together an outing that the club had not witnessed since King Felix became the 23rd man to attain perfection over a decade ago. (Domingo German became No. 24 in June).

Gilbert joins true Mariners royalty with his masterful seven-inning showing (12 strikeouts, one hit allowed). He stifled the star-studded Padres lineup and struck out Juan Soto three times. Most importantly, his dominance extends Seattle's winning streak to six. The team is now just two games out of a playoff spot and even has a fighting chance in the AL West (6.5 GB).

Scott Servais' squad entered 2023 with reasonably high expectations after finally ending a 21-year postseason drought last season. They played mediocre baseball nearly the entire first half but have since awakened, ironically after trading reliable closer Paul Sewald.

While the Mariners did not act like a contender at the MLB trade deadline, they are certainly playing like one now. Logan Gilbert (10-5, 3.66 ERA) has been a key part of the turnaround and will have to stay sharp if the M's are to book their second consecutive postseason trip.