THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: M's are red hot, but there still are questions

I love pennant races.

Unfortunately, the suspense also makes me a little sick to my stomach — unless the race pops up out of nowhere with just a few days to go.

But more than a month?

Hey, journalists are not immune to caring.

Not to mention feeling terrified with every pitch in the ninth inning of a one-run game (although I was calm and chuckling through the final three outs on Sunday, because Andres Munoz brought his unhittable stuff out for a 100-mph roar around the track).

Unfortunately, a columnist can’t TRULY be a fan, because we have to tell you the truth.

Sometimes, what we see and the opinions we need to share just feel like sucking on a lemon (see: Pac-12, greed, stupidity, Stanford arrogance).

There is a common wall sign, a simple thing you can find at media areas in stadiums around the country.

It says: “No cheering in the press box.”

So, we’re in the position of needing to be honest, and yet we still get caught up in the thrills and craziness.

Of course we do.

Now, about this pennant race and the Mariners’ all-out assault — not just on making the playoffs, but winning the AL West.

BASICALLY, it means trumping the talent and experience of the Astros, who’ve won two World Series since 2017 — including last year.

Oh, and surviving the Rangers, who’ve spent enough money building a contender that they could have chosen to buy one of Elon Musk’s rockets instead.

So, here we are.

Pass the media dose of Maalox.

Meanwhile, for all you title-starved fans in the Northwest, there are two problems with all this excitement and daily hoo-hah (plus a third if you consider the pending canonization of St. Julio Rodriguez, that boy from the Dominican Republic who left his island and came among us to make miracles).

Problem One: Playing legitimately to win a division hasn’t been a Seattle event in two decades, so everyone’s getting their head blown off with every game.

Health, sanity and maintaining the ability to get a decent night’s sleep are now in play.

(I’m talking about the fans!)

Problem Two: We’re not exactly at the part of the calendar where your conversation with fellow Mooseheads regularly involves the phrase: “Magic Number.”

In fact (checks date for third time), it’s still August.

To borrow the immortal worlds of baseball philosopher Reggie Jackson: “Many miles to travel before we sleep.”

Oh, I forgot …

Here on the newspaper end of things, there is another problem.

I’m going to face nights — with doggone deadlines — when I have to write for the next day without knowing how the Mariners, Astros and Rangers survived that evening.

We’ve got that issue right now.

The M’s hosted Oakland on Monday night, Houston paid a visit to the Red Sox, and Texas had a road game against the Mets.

I can’t plug up-to-the-second records into the column (that’s your gig), but today I CAN say that no matter what happened on Monday evening, the Mariners at the very least are tied for first place.

Feel free to hope for better.

IT’S A law of opinion columns that we attempt to peer into the future, giving you our best guess on how all this will sort out.

By now, even national baseball people (and particularly the well-known East Coast crowd who go to bed before the Mariners even play) have realized that something’s happening in Seattle.

As of Sunday, the M’s had reeled off 36 wins in their last 50 games, the hottest pace in MLB.

Yes, they’re bashing at the plate — but the ultimate decision will come on the mound.

“We’ve always known that to win the division, we’d have to lean on our pitching,” manager Scott Servais said.

Ironically, the top of the Mariners’ rotation would seem to make them even better in the postseason.

Club boss Jerry Dipoto has said more than once: “With our pitching, we really could do some damage if we get to the playoffs.”

So, the battle is getting there.

Frankly, I have some fears about this final month (technically, 31 games).

Seattle had given up 525 runs in 130 games by Sunday evening — less than any other team in the major leagues.

But the rotation could get creaky beyond the Big Three of Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert.

Bryce Miller hasn’t been through anything like this, and Bryan Woo (if he can stay in the rotation) will blow past any innings count he’s known in his life.

Remember, three bona fide starters — Robbie Ray, Marco Gonzales and Emerson Hancock — are out for the year.

THERE’S something else that scares me, too.

Does Matt Brash have an injury?

Just a tired arm?

The dynamic reliever has gotten tons of rest over the past week-plus, yet in his only outing last Friday against the Royals, he gave up a two-run homer — and didn’t last a full inning.

I’ve been worried about Matt, honestly, because you can only describe his delivery (producing heat touching 100 and perhaps the game’s most vicious slider) as sheer, unbuckled violence.

Servais gave him a unique role for a good share of the season — coming in anytime from the fifth inning on whenever there was huge trouble.

Brash has made 63 appearances but thrown just 55 innings, so you can see he’s been a specialist.

Check out his 88 strikeouts, though (most in perilous situations), and he’s a key reason the Mariners are atop the division.

Light candles that this young man’s explosive arm rejoins the party.

To win the division, the Mariners will have to keep hitting out of their minds (Julio, Teo Hernandez, Geno Suarez, lights-out newcomer Josh Rojas, etc.), and the pitching — even if there are some wobbles — has to hang in like these guys are defending the Alamo.

My advice: Stay calm for the next two or three weeks.

The division title almost certainly will be decided when the Mariners finish up with seven games against Texas and three against the terrifying Astros.

Never mind.

Who’s going to stay calm?

Scrap that advice.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”