Mariners close 7-run deficit to sweep Blue Jays, advance to ALDS

The first postseason baseball game in 21 years is in Seattle. It took a historic comeback, a well-placed bloop, and an awful lot of conviction to make it happen.

The Mariners eliminated a 7-run deficit by escaping Toronto’s Rogers Center and their best-of-three wildcard series against the treacherous Blue Jays. The ninth brought his stunning 10-9 win, sweeping the series and finally sending the youngster back to the Northwest to play in front of a thirsty local crowd.

Detail is? They are worthy of attention, so get to them.

But the result is tastier for Seattle fans. Next Saturday, the Mariners will host the Houston Astros in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. On October 18, 2001 he lost Game 2 of the AL Championship Series.

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The next two decades were a dark era for baseball. A handful of solid Mariners teams haven’t been good enough to make it into the postseason, mostly with unlucky deals, bad deals, unmotivated managerial hires, a string of bad luck, and only occasionally competent ones. I was not an administrator.

But this year, the Mariners won 90 games and secured a spot in the Major League Baseball playoffs. They won the 5th seed. That is, the old format allowed him to qualify as a second wildcard as well. It also earned a trip to Toronto, a true baseball madhouse, when the Blue Jays are playing good.

These Mariners quickly disarmed, hitting three runs in one inning to win Game 1 on Friday. – The Mariners faced an 8–1 deficit after five innings.

The decisive Game 3 Sunday at the Rogers Center was looming. Then, simply, the 2022 Mariners happened.

Carlos Santana, who hit from the right, hit a three-run homer off left-handed relief pitcher Dominique Miza to highlight the six-run sixth batter. That made him 8-5, but suddenly very intriguing given the Mariners’ bullpen dominance over Toronto’s All-Star closer, Jordan Romano.

But the greedy Mariners forced the Blue Jays’ hand even earlier, strafing reliever Brian Bass on three hits to start the eighth, forcing the Jays to insert Romano in the eighth, hoping for a six-out save. .

Romano gave up a hit to load the bases, recorded two strikeouts, and looked for a moment where he could maintain this 9-6 lead.

Instead, flicker shortstop JP Crawford served the ball into shallow center field, a terrifying triangle between multiple defenders. All-Stars Beau Bichette and George Springer came together, both dove in desperation and left empty.

Bichette and Springer stayed and Springer left the game. Cal Lawrie scores. Scored by Mitch Haniger. Scored by Adam Fraser.

And Toronto has endured a gut punch coming into winter.

When Lowry, whose folk hero status in Seattle has been blown up week after week, doubled to move into No. 9, it was almost inevitable, and Frazier gave them to Houston, an RBI single. I provided the hits I sent.

It used to be 8 to 1, now it’s 10 to 9.

Their staff was strafed by the comeback effort, and rookie George Kirby was called for the first-ever save. Hey, after his 20 years of flopping and crawling giant holes, no big deal.

After three outs, they’re Houston bound ahead of Game 1 against Justin Verlander on Tuesday. A week from now, T-Mobile Park will be an actual live game, not a viewing party.

It’s been a long wait. A great event to make it happen might have been worth it.