Dodgers might have cost Scott Servais his job after they dismantled the Mariners

The Mariners' visit to LA this week was exactly what the Dodgers needed. The Diamondbacks and Padres were slowly encroaching on their lead in the NL West, and the Dodgers needed at least a series win to try to put a little more distance between them. The Mariners, who were 7-8 before they headed to LA and slowly slipping out of the Wild Card race, were the perfect opponents.

Turns out, the Dodgers didn't just get a series win. They took all three of their games from the Mariners handily, with at least a three-run margin in each of their wins, to give themselves the best record in baseball and to set Seattle back to 7.5 games out of the last AL Wild Card spot.

The day after the series concluded, as the Mariners had to head back home with their tails between their legs, news broke that they would be firing manager Scott Servais and replacing him with former Mariner Dan Wilson.

Servais reportedly saw the news on social media before a scheduled meeting with Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto to officially notify him that he was being let go. Yikes.

Dodgers might've forced Mariners' hand with Scott Servais firing after decisive sweep

By the middle of June, the Mariners looked like they were on an unstoppable roll. They were 10 games up in the AL West over the Astros in a division that looked eminently winnable for Seattle. But because the Mariners are the Mariners and the Astros are the Astros, Seattle saw their lead whittled down to 3.5 games by the end of June, and by July 20, they were actively battling the Astros for first place in the division.

According to OptaSTATS, Servais is the first manager in MLB history to lead a team to a 10 game lead in a division and then be fired in the same season.

That's what suffering a sweep at the hands of the Dodgers will do to a guy. The Dodgers have enjoyed some long-awaited and well-timed returns from the IL over the past two weeks, restoring their lineup depth after a few truly harrowing weeks. The Mariners, despite trying to inject new life into their team with Servais' firing and Wilson's hiring, seem well out of the postseason, as the Twins and Royals remain steady in the last two Wild Card spots.

Servais left Seattle with an incredibly gracious note to the team, organization, and fans. Things really haven't gone the Mariners' way in the second half of the season, but hopefully he'll land on his feet with another organization.