Hanging out in the Tropic Of Cairo? Sipping out of a pineapple cup, catching some sun with nary a care in the world? You might want to stop reading now, because what follows stands a chance of pulling you back into the tormenting clutches of hope. I don't know why I'm doing this. I know it isn't healthy. I swear I can quit whenever I want. 

• Since that miserable eight-game losing streak at the start of the month, the Mariners have played 21 games. Over those 21 games, they've scored 96 runs and allowed 89, with a .732 team OPS. Ten of those games came against current division leaders.
• Jose Lopez and Chone Figgins are heating up, Josh Wilson's doing all right, and Griffey isn't playing, meaning the offensive black holes that were killing us have nearly disappeared.
• The Mariners have gained a game and a half over the last week.
• Divisions can see a lot of quick movement. The Rays have lost 3.5 games of ground to the Yankees and Red Sox since May 23rd. The Twins have gained 4.5 games of ground on the Tigers since May 20th. The Rangers blew a four-game lead in a week. The Phillies blew a five-game lead in two weeks. The Cardinals blew a five-game lead in two weeks. The Padres blew a six-game lead in two weeks. The Mariners are in a hole right now, and their odds are long, but teams go on runs both good and bad, and runs can change the standings in a hurry.

Since the beginning of the season, we've maintained that this is a mediocre division, and that a mediocre division allows its participants a little more margin of error. The Mariners are 20-31. In any other division, they'd be just about buried. In the AL West, though, they are seriously - improbably - still alive. With a very tough schedule ahead, they might finally sink, but we're not there yet. Somehow, we're not there yet.