THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Mariners refuse to go quietly into the night

No, I’m not in the habit of quoting Welsh poets of the early 20th century.

But sometimes, perfect words come from a different time and place, and they need to be shared.

Today, I’m thinking of the legendary Dylan Thomas, and specifically his iconic poem, “Do not go gentle into that good night.”

If Thomas had been born about a century later, he surely would have gotten hooked on the Seattle Mariners — who refuse to leave the American League wild card race, gently or otherwise.

Most observers and analytics junkies consigned the Mariners to that dark night months ago.

Scott Servais’ gang of youngsters, retreads and no-names, however, did not get the memo.

With their stunning four-game sweep at Oakland that concluded with a 6-5 victory on Thursday — after they trailed 3-0 and 4-1 — the Mariners have crept to within two games of a wild-card spot with nine games remaining.

I’M A little too cautious to claim that the Mariners are going to break their two-decade playoff drought in the wackiest way possible.

The big problem is that the M’s would have to make up two games on both the Yankees — who hold the second wild-card spot behind Boston — and Toronto.

Overhauling one team is doable if you keep playing well, but hoping two clubs will hit the skids in a week and a half, well…

On the other hand, a lot can happen in nine days, and if the Mariners have proven anything this year, it’s that they are resilient — and then some.

Whether or not Seattle can come flying into a wild-card spot, though, it’s definitely time to throw some applause toward this gutty team.

This was a group that — if things went right — was supposed to pave the way for a contending club in 2022 and beyond.

This was meant to be a transitional season.

The average win total predicted by so-called “experts” was about 72.

And then…

It seemed like the entire pitching staff got hurt at one time or another.

So did reigning rookie of the year Kyle Lewis. And promising first baseman Evan White.

Yet, somehow, this club has won 84 times and acts like it doesn’t plan to stop.

WHEN THE season started, you might have been locked up if you’d suggested the Mariners could flirt with 90 wins.

Or that Casey Sadler, Paul Sewald and Drew Steckenrider would form the corps of a bullpen that has shut down games at a furious rate.

To quote Butch Cassidy (yes, in the same column as Dylan Thomas)…

“Who ARE those guys?”

What this patchwork team has done, over and over, is prove that it can win — and especially that it can win when things look grim.

Heck, they were out of the wild-card picture a week ago when they lost two of three to Boston — twice giving up leads in the ninth inning.

That was a gut shot.

So…

The Mariners turned around and won five straight — including those four in Oakland, the first time in franchise history that they’d pulled the quadruple at the Coliseum.

And here we are…

In a pennant race.

Sort of.

Right, more from Dylan Thomas: “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

However this nine-game, wild-card dash turns out, the Mariners will do some raging.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

He also writes Zags Tracker, a commentary on Gonzaga basketball which is published monthly during the offseason, and weekly beginning in October.