The Mariners’ recent 10-game winning streak has opened the possibility of a familiar foe for the Yankees in the wild-card round of the American League playoffs.

It once appeared the Astros would cruise to the AL West crown, but Seattle’s surge behind legitimate MVP candidate Cal Raleigh — sorry, Aaron Judge fans, he’s not a slam dunk — has created a very real chance the Yankees will need to get by their longtime postseason nemesis in a best-of-three showdown just to reach the ALDS. The Astros wake up Thursday just a half-game from sliding behind the Mariners into wild-card position.

Don’t fear it. Embrace it.

Or, at least, don’t completely run away from it.

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