Yes, it’s looking dim for both the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates in terms of their playoff chances this year, but I believe in miracles and I believe in the amazing history of MLB playoff races. Remember in 2011 when the St. Louis Cardinals were 8 1/2 games back of a playoff berth on Sept. 1 and then went 18-8, catching the Atlanta Braves on the final day of the regular season and then winning the World Series? Or how about the 2011 Tampa Bay Rays or the 1995 Mariners, both of whom were 7 1/2 games back of a playoff berth on Sept. 1 of those years and then made the playoffs?There are September surprises every season, and this year I see the Mariners and Pirates filling that role.As of Monday morning, the Mariners are in third place in the AL West, three games behind the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, and in eighth place in the AL wild-card race, three games out of the third and final wild-card spot. They’d have to pass five teams to get in.The Pirates are in fourth place in the NL Central, 19 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers, and in seventh place in the NL wild-card, 8 1/2 games out of the third wild-card spot. They need to get past four teams to get in.It may be easier for Seattle to get in than the Pirates, but for as many years as they’ve been irrelevant, how exciting would it be for a miracle September in the ‘Burgh? Let’s look at how both teams could make some history next month.Keys to a Mariners runI believe the Mariners have the best team in the AL West despite their record, and I think winning the division is the best path for them to make the playoffs this year. I don’t understand why this team has played so poorly and underachieved all season long, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get hot and make up for it down the stretch.The Mariners have the best starting rotation in the division, led by Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Emerson Hancock. However, while they have the third-lowest starter ERA in the AL, they have been let down by a mediocre bullpen and a very poor offense. The rotation has hardly been the problem this year, but it may have just gotten stronger, as they promoted the best pitching prospect in baseball, Kade Anderson, on Saturday. He should make an impact the rest of the way.That said, improvements in the rotation won’t matter unless the talented back end of their bullpen, led by Andres Muñoz, José A. Ferrer, Eduard Bazardo and Gabe Speier, doesn’t step up.If the Mariners are going to make a push, however, they will need to see a significant increase in production from their underperforming offense. The Mariners are dead last in runs scored in all of baseball and have seen significant drop-offs in production from nearly all of their everyday players.It’s been a struggle all season for Cal Raleigh, who broke records last year. (Richard Dizon / Imagn Images)Getting Josh Naylor and company going will be necessary for the Mariners to make a run, but there’s no doubt that the players who will have the most impact on the Mariners’ chances are Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez.