A tough or simply unbelievable match where the Mariners put it all in a 10-9 victory over the Blue Jays, and it’s all about dashing back from a seven-point deficit in what’s going to be in the season. The comeback is the second largest in MLB playoff history, the largest for the away team, and the largest in a series-clinching game.
Mariners's Comeback is The Second-Biggest in MLB Playoff History
COMEBACK COMPLETE
— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2022
The @Mariners come back from one of the largest deficits in #postseason history and are into the ALDS! pic.twitter.com/EHBdEr1IBx
Scott Servais’ message is simple, but its application is easier said than done. “Look forward to expectations,” the Mariners manager said repeatedly at Rogers Center in the days leading up to the AL Wild Card Series and throughout the weekend.
It also secured a spot in the AL division series, almost poetically against division rival Houston — the juggernaut Seattle has been chasing for years — and more importantly, ensuring Seattle will be the host playoff in ALCS for the first time since 2001. The Mariners will return to T-Mobile Park on Saturday for Game 3 of the ALDS and, if necessary, Game 4 on Sunday, in the best-of-five series.
LOOK AT OUR BOYS pic.twitter.com/ADPwMGwMsK
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 9, 2022
As for the comeback, it’s not just the October theatre; Saturday’s rally is the Mariners’ biggest in at least seven games since July 26, 2021, a thriller about the Astros that’s still the age of Seattle as one of the highlights.
Seattle’s often-reliable arm on the mound was bounced early on, and opposing pitchers had annoying speed and movement to stop the offense, and even if the Mariners were able to fight back in a deafening road environment, their bullpen was again and again, making it seem like the rally is out of reach.
Already one of those teams that fans outside the Pacific Northwest can grab, the Mariners have an eclectic personality that tends to play tight games and play a fun brand of baseball. Their most recent victory is the most illustrative encapsulation of that identity.
