The bar for whether a Mariners game is considered a success nowadays is whether or not Ken Griffey Jr. retires to a clubhouse La-Z-Boy in the fifth inning and promptly dozes off. That really bodes well for an electric atmosphere on a weeknight at the Safe, doesn’t it? Fortunately for the turnstiles, Toronto is in town, and aside from the Yankees and Red Sox, Canada’s lone remaining ballclub tends to fetch the largest visiting crowd to opposing parks. (Did you know there are heaps of Canucks around here? Go figure!) If you think the prospect of Blue Jays’ fans outnumbering those of the M’s is a funky one, consider that the two teams have enjoyed the season the other was supposed to have thus far. The Jays, perennially picked to finish fourth in the powerhouse AL East, are within striking distance of the Yankees and Tampa Bay, while keeping Boston in its rearview mirror. Meanwhile, the Mariners, a trendy prediction to finish atop the crummy AL West, are in the division’s cellar. Because nothing has thus far has made much sense, it’d be perfectly [il]logical for the M’s to sweep this two-game series via an awakening of their previously impotent bats—and Griffey. MIKE SEELY

Wed., May 19, 7:10 p.m., 2010