Red hot Seattle Mariners' win streak rivals that of 2001 team

A month ago, when the Seattle Mariners were shut out for the second straight game — losing a third in a row overall — to the lowly Los Angeles Angels, yet another season looked hopeless for the team with the longest active playoff drought in North American pro sports.

• The Mariners had fallen to a new low point for the season: 10 games under .500.

Yes, but: Ever since, the Mariners have been on fire.

• They've won 22 of their past 25 games — including 14 straight — during a torrid stretch of victories the likes of which no Seattle baseball team has experienced since the legendary M's of 2001.

State of play: Heading into this week's All-Star break, the Mariners are now 51-42, hold the American League's final wildcard spot and own the longest active winning streak in the bigs.

• Two Mariners — First baseman Ty France and breakout star center fielder Julio "J-Rod" Rodriguez — will make their All-Star debuts, representing the team at this week's Midsummer Classic in Los Angeles.

Context: The current win streak is the second longest in club history, trailing only the high mark set by the 2001 team that tied the MLB record for most wins in a season with 116.

Here's where the streak stacks up:

1. 15 games: May 23–June 8, 2001

2. 14 games: July 2, 2022–current

3-T. 10 games: April 8–17, 2002

3-T. 10 games: Sept. 12–21, 1996

4-T. 9 games: May 27 to June 5, 2003

4-T. 9 games: April 19–28, 2001

Meanwhile, the M's have won eight series in a row — a first since 2001, when they won 14 consecutive series from July 27 to Sept. 20.

• This year's team also has swept four straight series — another first since the '01 team, which swept four series from May 25 to June 6 during their franchise record win-streak that year.

What's next: The Mariners will look to tie the club's longest winning streak following the All-Star break, when they return home Friday to face AL West-leading Houston.

• Two stars from the '01 team — Bret Boone and Mike Cameron — are scheduled to throw out the game's first pitch, and perhaps they'll bring some of that old early 2000s SoDo mojo with them.