Julio Rodriguez recently took some time to reflect on the Seattle Mariners 2022 season following his Rookie of the Year award win. Rodriguez was the clear choice for AL Rookie of the Year after helping Seattle snap their 20-plus year postseason drought. He shared his honest thoughts on the special 2022 season, per MLBPA.
" 𝔹𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕢𝕦𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕓𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕖𝕔𝕥 "
⚾️ THE postSEAson ⚾️
"This is Story Book Stuff!!"
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Julio Rodriguez reflects on special Mariners season after AL Rookie of the Year award win
By Joey Mistretta -
“I’m 21 years old and the whole drought was 21 years, so I wasn’t even really able to talk when everything was happening,” Rodriguez said. “But I feel like I was really happy. It was definitely a win for us, for the city. And it was special man, it was special to see. Even though we didn’t end with the World Series ring,
we all wanted to just feel the love and support of the city. They appreciate what we did for them, and they appreciate us ending the drought. So it was a pretty special moment.”
Julio Rodriguez has previously expressed his love for the city of Seattle. The Mariners’ young star is already locked up to a massive contract extension. He is already the face of the franchise and has an opportunity to have an excellent career. Rodriguez continued by explaining what makes the fans in Seattle special.
“They are just letting us be ourselves,” Rodriguez said. “Before everything, before being the Mariners, before all that, we are human beings. I feel that’s how the city is seeing us. And I feel like that’s why we’re able to connect with them so well. We dance, we have fun, and I feel that’s how the game should be…we
should just enjoy it.”
It is a fun time to be a Mariners fan with Julio Rodriguez leading the charge.
Julio Rodríguez on winning the AL ROY Award
JULIOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Julio Rodríguez's Leadoff HR (27)
@JRODshow44 is the 2022 Jackie Robinson AL Rookie of the Year! http://atmlb.com/3UDXD65
This is Only The Beginning for Julio Rodríguez
Julio Rodríguez Named 2022 Jackie Robinson AL Rookie of the Year
Julio Rodríguez Reacts to Winning 2022 AL Rookie of the Year Award
@JRODshow44 and Matt Brash put on upside-down glasses and it did not disappoint
That’s our skipper! For the second consecutive season, Scott Servais is a finalist for the AL Manager of the Year Award. #SeaUsRise
Scott Servais Named AL Manager. of the Year Finalist
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Mariners: 3 best free agents Seattle must target after ALDS loss to Astros
The Seattle Mariners surprised the MLB world by snapping a 21-year postseason drought that was previously the longest among the four major American sports. It ended on a disappointing note as they could not win a game against the dominant Houston Astros in the ALDS. Even with the unfortunate sweep, this
young squad absorbed priceless experiences they will need for the foreseeable future.
" The Fall Classic "
The postseason is underway!
• ALDS Game 3: Today, 4 p.m. ET/1 PT on TBS
Mariners vsAstros
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a sincere thank you from your atMariners admins
Geno appreciates the good vibes
YOU CAN HAVE MY WHOLE HEART EUGENIO
Eyeing his second straight Gold Glove Award, Murphy is the total package behind the plate, with a strong arm, quick reflexes and excellent framing skills. He’s up against two elite pitch-framers in Trevino, who led all backstops in framing runs saved, and Raleigh, who tied for fourth. Trevino (first) and Raleigh (third) also ranked in the top three among catchers in defensive runs saved.
"I think were all doing this, but if you realize it, we were just three Hit's from a Sweep in the #ALDS!!"
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Mariners flag flying atop the Space Needle
Mariners Announcer #RickRizzs raise's the #MarinersFlag on the @Space_Needle as City gears up for #GAME3 #ALDS 𝐋𝐄𝐓'𝐒 #𝐆𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒
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Cal Raleigh's family turned out in droves, from all over the country, to see the 2022 Mariners make history.
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Julio Rodriguez reacts to viral fan celebration of Mariners’ comeback win
Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodriguez couldn’t be any happier to see fans celebrate like crazy after their epic comeback win against the Toronto Blue Jays in the MLB playoffs.
In case you missed it, the Mariners pulled off an incredible victory over the Blue Jays after it looked like they were on the verge of defeat. Seattle fell behind 8-1 at the end of the fifth inning, with the team seemingly losing all hope of sweeping the Wild Card series.
However, a two-part rally in the sixth and eighth innings allowed the Mariners to tie the game at 9-9 before sealing the deal and the 10-9 victory in the 10th inning. Naturally, it sparked all sorts of reactions from Seattle fans, with one specific celebration catching the attention of Rodriguez.
On Twitter, Rodriguez shared what seemed to be a CCTV footage from Toyota of Seattle. The service center crew of the business can be seen watching the game before exploding with joy as the Mariners complete their comeback.
Rodriguez clearly enjoyed it as he reacted to the post with the perfect caption.
Surveillance video of Toyota of Seattle Employees Celebrating Mariners Win Goes Viral
Julio Rodriguez @JRODshow44 We enjoy it different in the PNW!!!
While the job is far from over for the Mariners, even us would be that ecstatic if our favorite team pull off a comeback like what Seattle did against Toronto.
Julio Rodriguez and co. are now moving on to the ALDS of the MLB playoffs where they’ll be facing the Houston Astros. That will be a whole new difficult challenge for the team, though the Mariners can certainly expect the Seattle fan base to cheer for them like crazy.
ALDS Game 3 Preview News Conference
The squad is back in Seattle! Tune in as Scott Servais and Julio Rodríguez speak to the media from T-Mobile Park before tomorrow’s ALDS Game 3.
“You never want to see somebody else celebrating on your home field, but hats off to them,” catcher Cal Raleigh said. “It's still going to be imprinted in a lot of our minds for a while, and we're going to take it next year and remember how it felt.”
Saturday Oct. 15
FINAL/18
HOU 1 vs 0 SEA
Mariners' postseason run ends after 18-inning duel
Seattle leaves mark, puts division rival Houston on notice heading into 2023 season
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George Kirby, who went 7 scoreless vs. Houston, is one of the young pitchers who will bolster the club's future.
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Despite being swept by the Astros, the Mariners are already looking ahead to 2023 and another playoff run.
Astros vs. Mariners Game 3 Highlights (10/15/22) | MLB Highlights
@MikeMcCreadyPJ Been waiting 21 years for playoff baseball in Seattle!! Go @Mariners!!! #SeaUsRise
Mike McCready National Anthem
Dave’s watching with us today
Thank you for bringing the electricity all year long. We wouldn’t have made it this far without you
The Mariners threw 17 out-of-zone pitches to José Altuve yesterday and he swung at 14 of them!
Mariners fans show up early, stay late for heartbreaking ALDS loss
Julio Rodriguez and the Seattle Mariners may have lost their MLB playoffs series with the Houston Astros in a shocking sweep, but they are not getting discouraged by the painful setback.
Although it may not feel like it, the Mariners have just put the rest of the baseball world on notice.
As for 2023? Well, I’ll let Jay Buhner answer that.
【マリナーズ・ロドリゲス】捕球確立10%の激ムズ打球をスーパーキャッチ!! 外野を26メートルも横断するイチローの愛弟子!!
By Daniel Kramer @DKramer_
SEATTLE -- It was worth the agonizingly long wait. The sea of navy and teal stretched 47,690 strong, in tune with every pitch and sending roar after deafening roar throughout a venue that hasn’t experienced anything like this.
Postseason baseball had been played within the walls of T-Mobile Park -- 21 years ago -- as has been well-chronicled. But even with recency bias, it’d be hard to suggest that it looked like it did Saturday night, sustained through a game that was scoreless until the 18th inning and tied for the longest game in
postseason history, with virtually everyone in the house on their feet for all six hours and 22 minutes.
But as has been the case during this tense American League Division Series between teams that had faced each other 21 times entering this packed-house matinee that turned into a nightcap, the Mariners were so excruciatingly and exhaustingly close -- but ultimately not quite there. Seattle lost Game 3 of the best-
of-five series in an 18-inning 1-0 defeat, swept out of the postseason with its run over in a fashion as equally frustrating as it was gut-wrenching.
Given the tense back and forth and incredible run-prevention efforts from both teams with elimination on the line, Saturday’s game was always going to go down as one of the most memorable in franchise history, either an all-time great in which the Mariners outdueled their AL West rivals, or among the most
frustrating via a loss for that same reason.
George Kirby Strikes Out Five
Penn Murfee, the Mariners’ final reliever in the bullpen other than Robbie Ray, surrendered a 415-foot solo homer to Jeremy Peña in a full count to lead off the 18th, then the Mariners went quietly in their 10th chance at a walk-off.
“The number of young players that played huge roles for us in this series -- it is going to benefit us just immensely going forward,” manager Scott Servais said. “It's a brotherhood in that clubhouse, and it is something that's going to serve us well and certainly serve our core -- all the players -- well going forward as
we took a huge step as an organization this season.”
Ty France Turns Unassisted DP
The season ended sooner than the Mariners hoped, but beyond their big step forward in 2021 -- when they won 90 games and inspired the region to “Believe" -- Seattle finally ended the drought and, even more so, they showed that once they were in the dance that they belonged.
“When we all look back, everybody’s been talking, ‘Oh, the drought, the drought, the drought,’” star outfielder Julio Rodríguez said. “This whole team together has come a long way, and I feel like this is the beginning for all of us.”
Rodríguez's Remarkable Catch
Rodríguez is the prized face of the future, likely on his way to winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award -- and perhaps many more awards down the road. Yet his presence is an embodiment of the overall trajectory of baseball in Seattle, which -- if this playoff run indicated anything -- could be the first of many.
There’s a nucleus here that showed quantifiable development, but also the reality of a need to continue adding talent externally this offseason. Nearly the entire 26-man roster sat on the top step of the home dugout during Houston’s celebration, soaking it all in as motivation to be in that exuberant position next
October.
“You never want to see somebody else celebrating on your home field, but hats off to them,” catcher Cal Raleigh said. “It's still going to be imprinted in a lot of our minds for a while, and we're going to take it next year and remember how it felt.”
Andrés Muñoz's 101 mph K's
On paper, this was a sweep and the Mariners' 15th loss in 22 games to the juggernauts that they share a division with -- the one that they continue to chase. Yet in each of these three contests, had one pitch or swing gone another way, the dynamic of this series could’ve shifted in a completely different direction.
Seattle was outscored by one run in Games 1 and 3 and two in Game 2.
Onward. #EmbraceTheChaos
“We feel close and yet still feel far away,” president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said. “They're going on to the LCS for the sixth straight year. And we recognize and respect what they do, but we feel like we can play with anybody -- and I think we just showed it for three days.”
The Mariners led in every game but their last. Yet, as was the case in the opening acts in Houston, Saturday’s showing underscored that Seattle lacked the knockout punch.
Jarred Kelenic's Sliding Catch
The Mariners went 7-for-60 with 22 strikeouts. They reached second base just three times and third base just once -- in the second inning -- while going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranding 10 runners total. Though Saturday’s game was for the taking, they struggled to seize the moment offensively.
“It's a tough way to lose, especially being so close to playing them so well,” outfielder Mitch Haniger said. “Unfortunately, we didn't get it done and this one hurts. ... Our pitching staff has been great. We've just got to put more runs up on the board.”
It was a tough ending to an otherwise promising season. The Mariners didn’t quite conquer their division rivals, but they certainly have their attention -- for next year and beyond.
Forever our King
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“You’ve got to finish it out, no question,” Servais said. “It's difficult to do that on the road in the playoffs. ... I don't know what else you want me to say. We have played very good baseball.”
"We're right there against those guys,” star center fielder Julio Rodríguez said. “They got away with these two games, but it's not like we're that far off. I feel like we’re right there, and we’ve definitely got a team to compete with them."
“It makes me sick that he’s beaten us two [games] in a row single-handedly,” catcher Cal Raleigh said of Alvarez. “As a catcher, you feel partially responsible. It wasn’t a terrible pitch, but that’s kind of how it goes and how the stadium is here.”
“We’re just as good as them, and [we] are right with them,” Mitch Haniger said. “So we know we can beat them. We're looking forward to Saturday, playing at home.”
Thursdayday Oct. 13
FINAL
SEA 2 vs 4 HOU
Mariners can't find knockout punch, drop 2 in Houston
Despite tough spot, team confident after close results: 'We know we can beat them'
Heading home in need of 'W'
Seattle dropped another close decision to the Astros on a two-out homer. Now, it's win or be eliminated.
Seattle, get ready to bring the energy for Game 3 at T-Mobile Park.
Mariners vs. Astros ALDS Game 2 Highlights (10/13/22) | MLB Highlights
By Daniel Kramer @DKramer_
HOUSTON -- Scott Servais has said throughout this season, and especially in these playoffs, that each game typically comes down to two or three at-bats. Sometimes, the Mariners' manager says, they’re more obvious to pinpoint while others become clearer in retrospect.
Those opportunities surfaced on Thursday at Minute Maid Park, the margin between success and failure slim, and while the Mariners fought and clawed all afternoon, they ultimately came up short in two or three moments that, had things gone the other way, might not have yielded a 4-2 loss to the Astros.
The Mariners are showing that they belong in this American League Division Series, going blow for blow with the 106-win juggernauts. But in the opening acts at Minute Maid Park, they lacked the knockout punch -- and now they’re on the brink of elimination.
The first postseason game in Seattle in 21 years is on Saturday, and it will be one of the most electric environments in these playoffs. But lurking over that jubilation will be the possibility of it being the Mariners’ final game of the season. Making matters sting even more is that a loss would yield a sweep to the team
their disdain for is as palpable as it is unspoken.
"We're right there against those guys,” star center fielder Julio Rodríguez said. “They got away with these two games, but it's not like we're that far off. I feel like we’re right there, and we’ve definitely got a team to compete with them."
Rodriguez was at the center of arguably the game’s most significant play, a bloop single by Jeremy Peña in shallow center field with two outs, which was immediately followed by a two-run blast from Yordan Alvarez, who is blossoming into the second coming of Barry Bonds. That homer, on a 98.3 mph sinker from Luis
Castillo way outside the zone, pushed the Astros from trailing by one run to ahead for good.
The Mariners intentionally walked Alvarez in the eighth with a man on first and Andrés Muñoz pitching in relief, but Alex Bregman immediately followed with an RBI single on a 101.4 mph fastball, the fastest pitch that the two-time All-Star has connected on for a base hit in his career. Those moments underscored how
agonizingly close the Mariners have been.
“It makes me sick that he’s beaten us two [games] in a row single-handedly,” catcher Cal Raleigh said of Alvarez. “As a catcher, you feel partially responsible. It wasn’t a terrible pitch, but that’s kind of how it goes and how the stadium is here.”
Eugenio Suárez Scores on Error
After Castillo surrendered a solo homer to Kyle Tucker in the second inning, the Mariners responded with two runs in the fourth, scoring via a fielder’s choice on a quirky dribbler from Carlos Santana and an RBI knock by Dylan Moore. It forced Astros starter Framber Valdez to labor through 26 pitches, which led him
to be pulled with two outs in the sixth, exiting after a walk to Moore that loaded the bases.
With Raleigh on deck, the move from the All-Star lefty to righty reliever Héctor Neris also set up the switch-hitting backstop to hit left-handed, his far superior swing, but he grounded out to leave the bases juiced. That moment came just before Alvarez’s big blast. The Mariners also had another rally brewing in the
eighth with one on, but Jarred Kelenic hit a 351-foot flyout to the warning track and Raleigh struck out looking.
That brought up Julio Rodríguez, whose game plan—like many of the Mariners—was to be aggressive on the fastball, trying to keep Valdez from getting to his curveball. So Julio, first pitch swinging on a curveball, scalded a ball at 100 MPH, but a 32-year-old José Altuve decided to summon the spirit of prime Jeter:
That set the tone for the day—the Astros brought their A game, defensively, with even the slug-footed Álvarez making some solid plays in the outfield.
The Mariners stranded nine baserunners and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position outside of Moore’s RBI single. They also had seven hard-hit balls (95 mph or harder) go for outs, which they point to as an illustration of a sound approach despite the results.
“You’ve got to finish it out, no question,” Servais said. “It's difficult to do that on the road in the playoffs. ... I don't know what else you want me to say. We have played very good baseball.”
In Division Series with the current 2-2-1 format, teams winning both Games 1 and 2 in their home ballparks have advanced 30 of 33 times (91%), with 19 finishing off the sweep in Game 3. Those odds aren’t in Seattle’s favor, but they aren’t backing down.
“We’re just as good as them, and [we] are right with them,” Mitch Haniger said. “So we know we can beat them. We're looking forward to Saturday, playing at home.”
Scott Servais on Mariners' Loss,
"Yordan Alvarez is unbelievable" Scott Servais DISAPPOINTED Mariners loss to Astros 4-2 Game 2 ALDS
Castillo on Game 2 Loss, Outing
There will be #postSEAson Baseball in Seattle.
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"There are so many kids that grew up in the Pacific Northwest that don't know anything about the Mariners being in the playoffs," Servais said. "And now we get to show them."
GAME 1
Tuesday Oct. 11
FINAL
SEA 7 vs 8 HOU
Ray allows G1 walk-off homer in 1st save opportunity
Starter turned postseason reliever allows 3-run drive after Sewald struggles
After chasing Justin Verlander, the Mariners allowed five runs in the final two innings, including a walk-off homer.
PREVIEW: 12:37 PM PDT
Castillo tries to turn tideWatch on TBS: Luis Castillo has not faced Houston as a Mariner. That changes in a key Game 2 on Thursday.
💪🏼 La Piedra in Game Two 💪🏼
HOUSTON -- In the most brutally cruel way, the Mariners received the sourest taste of their own medicine in a walk-off, 8-7 loss to the Astros in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park.
Robbie Ray, in his first career save opportunity, surrendered a massive, three-run walk-off homer to Yordan Alvarez that spoiled what was shaping up to be another statement win on the road.
• ALDS Game 2: Thursday, 12:30 p.m. PT on TBS
Yordan Alvarez's Walk-Off Homer
Ray was brought in to replace Paul Sewald, who hit No. 9 hitter David Hensley with a pitch, then surrendered a two-out single to Jeremy Peña that set up the big blast. One inning earlier, Andrés Muñoz surrendered a two-run homer to Alex Bregman that allowed the Astros to inch within two runs, after the Mariners
had created separate four-run leads earlier.
Playing the hits. #SeaUsRise
Called on for a left-on-left matchup, Ray threw just two two-seam fastballs to Alvarez. The first the slugger fouled off swinging out of his shoes, and the second left his bat at a Statcast-projected 116.4 mph and traveled 438 feet into the second deck. Both were center-cut, the fateful one clocked at 93.2 mph out of
Ray’s hand.
“I was just trying to get the sinker in on him, and it didn’t get there,” Ray said. “Just frustrating. I was ready. I felt fine. I felt good in the bullpen.”
Servais Breaks Down Game 1 Loss
The decision to go to Ray was brewing in the two days leading up to this moment, when the Mariners began mapping out their rotation -- specifically with the venue and opponent. Ray was battered to an 8.22 ERA in two starts in Houston, where the Astros slashed .371/.476/.771 (1.248 OPS) against him in 42 plate
appearances. He also gave up six runs on 10 hits and lasted only three innings in a start against them in Seattle.
Using Ray in relief illustrated that the Mariners probably didn’t intend to start their $115 million arm during this ALDS, even if he would not have been on turn again until Game 3 on Saturday in Seattle.
Unless the Mariners use George Kirby in Game 2, which is highly unlikely now given what’s transpired, the rookie will likely take that assignment. That would set up a return in Game 4 for Logan Gilbert, who outdueled Justin Verlander in Game 1, and Luis Castillo, who will start Game 2 on Thursday and could start
Game 5 on short rest on Monday.
Logan Gilbert Strikes Out Five
“It was something going into the series where we were at, looking at our rotation, where we were going to head, and talking with Robbie about using him out of the bullpen as a bullet, so to speak, for that type of scenario,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Bringing in a lefty against Alvarez, although Alvarez is
one of the better hitters in the league ... I looked at it in the seventh inning and said, ‘Hey, this could happen.’ So that was the plan going in.”
Ray hadn’t pitched out of the bullpen since Sept. 29, 2020, and before that, since Oct. 4, 2017. In the regular season, he had made only two career relief appearances in '14; neither of those situations were in high-leverage spots. The only other lefty in Seattle’s ‘pen is Matthew Boyd, who has been a mid-leverage
arm used in multi-inning pockets. The only other realistic option was leverage righty Erik Swanson.
“I pretty much knew that was kind of my pocket of guys, starting with Alvarez, from the beginning,” Ray said.
One game removed from their historic comeback in Toronto, the Mariners lost a game that was in the bag until, all of a sudden, it wasn’t. Making it more tough to stomach was that they chased Verlander after four innings and their offense was seemingly unfazed by this huge stage.
Julio Rodríguez's Two-Run Double Fire us up, @JRODshow44
But once again, their house of horrors at Minute Maid Park chronicled another chapter, this one the ugliest yet. The Mariners are now 7-31 here since the start of 2019.
Opposing teams were 8-2 when scoring at least seven runs in this ballpark during the regular season, and Alvarez's walk-off homer was the first in postseason history with a player's team trailing by multiple runs.
Eugenio Suárez's Solo Home Run
“It's like a heavyweight fight,” Servais said. “You're going to get punched. It's how you respond in those moments and that's a tough one. Today, I thought we had it in hand. You’ve got to give them credit. Certainly, they’ve been in this spot many times before -- and you don't quit.”
Yet this one puts the Mariners on the precipice of the precarious. In the history of best-of-five postseason series, Game 1 winners have gone on to win the series 102 of 144 times (71%). In Division Series with the current 2-2-1 format, teams winning Game 1 at their home ballparks have advanced 34 of 47 times
(72%).
J.P. Crawford takes Justin Verlander wayyyyyy deep! (The Mariners have come out swinging!)
ALDS Game 1 Postgame News Conference
Luis Castillo and Scott Servais are speaking to the media ahead of Game 1 of the ALDS. #SeaUsRise
Jeff Passan "goes crazy" Yordan Alvarez walk-off 3-run HR gives Astros 1-0 ALDS lead vs. Mariners
E M B R A C E
T H E
C H A O S
LIVE REACTION of Rick Rizzs calling Mariners Wild Card Series Win
Minute Maid Park getting painted for the Houston Astros' matchup with the Seattle Mariners
HOUSTON -- Days after Logan Gilbert was drafted by the Mariners in 2018, taken with their first-round pick, the cerebrally competitive, yet sheepishly unassuming, pitcher took in his first game at T-Mobile Park just behind the home dugout.
The Mariners were a half-game ahead of the Astros for first place in the AL West going into the June 13 contest, and Mitch Haniger hit a walk-off home run to send the ticketed crowd of 28,236 into a frenzy. As manager Scott Servais walked off the field, he locked eyes with Gilbert, then 21 years old, then pointed
back to the celebratory bedlam and mouthed to the righty: “You will be out here.”
And now, that moment has manifested and the stage is far grander.
Gilbert will start Game 1 of the American League Division Series today at Minute Maid Park, taking the mound opposite Justin Verlander in what might be the most intriguing pitching matchup among the Game 1 slate across the Majors.
Scott Servais on Winning the Wild Card Series, Advancing to ALDS
Adam Frazier Reacts to Mariners vs. Astros ALDS, Luis Castillo Impact, Justin Verlander & Confidence
“I knew he needed to be a dude for us to ever get here,” Servais recounted on Monday. “So why not start him in this moment?”
We got Walter Goin’ in Game 1
Gilbert was slated to pitch Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series in Toronto on Sunday, but he wasn’t needed after the Mariners’ incredible comeback that secured a two-game sweep. He last pitched on Sept. 30, giving him 10 full days of rest heading into this outing. Where a long layoff might hinder most starters, it
could be a benefit for Gilbert, who threw 185 2/3 innings in the regular season, upwards of 50 more than his previous career high in 2019.
“It's a big change knowing that we usually go on five days, and now, getting those extra days,” Gilbert said. “I've [thrown] off the mound a couple times because I thought I might be starting in Toronto. ... So it's all good changes and nothing bad. It's, if anything, good to get a little extra rest, especially at this point
in the year."
Fatigue has been a theme of observation for the Mariners’ young arms, specifically Gilbert, and more so, George Kirby, as they charter through innings accumulation that they’ve never previously reached.
Justin Verlander Reacts to Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners ALDS Matchup & Returning to Playoffs
But after a tough stretch out of the All-Star break, which featured two starts against these Astros, Gilbert has hit his stride, with a 2.00 ERA while holding hitters to a .195/.250/.305 (.555 OPS) slash line in his final six regular-season starts. It was a similar showing to September 2021, when he had a 2.70 ERA and a
.205/.252/.347 (.598) slash line.
“I think just being out there knowing that we're playing in big games and big moments, it's easy to get up,” Gilbert said. “Your body gets excited and amped up. So I think that's probably a big part of it.”
Gilbert also had the most success against Houston of any Seattle starter in the regular season other than Chris Flexen, who probably won’t be used as a starter after transitioning to the bullpen in early August. Gilbert had a 2.52 ERA and held the Astros to a .228/.283/.348 (.631 OPS) slash line in four outings, with
the Mariners going 2-2 in those starts. Of note, he surrendered just one homer against the 100 batters faced.
His task will be tall, especially facing Verlander, who will go down among the greatest pitchers of his generation in what might be his best season yet. Gilbert grew up regularly watching the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who put together an unprecedented season at age 39 while returning from Tommy John
surgery. Verlander went 18-4 with an MLB-leading and career-best 1.75 ERA over 28 starts.
“I, obviously, really respect him and am so impressed with what he's done this year, especially after [Tommy John surgery],” Gilbert said. “He was one of the guys I looked up to growing up early on, so it was a big deal getting a start against him [in July]. It's a big deal [Tuesday], so I’ll definitely take that in. It only
adds to the situation.”
If the Mariners can steal a win in Houston, they’ll flip home-field advantage back in their favor for this best-of-five series -- and they like their chances with the guy they’re rolling out first.
MLB Tonight | Harold Reynolds reacts to Mariners advance to ALDS vs Astros after sweeping Blue Jays
ESPN's Jeff Passan reacts to Mariners sweep Blue Jays, face Astros in AL Division series - Who win?
Mark Derosa "claims" Cal Raleigh as the keys helps Mariners overcome Astros in ALDS | MLB Network
New Paint Job on the Field at Rogers Center. Getting ready for Game 1 Today!
"There are so many kids that grew up in the Pacific Northwest that don't know anything about the Mariners being in the playoffs," Servais said. "And now we get to show them."
FINAL
SEA 10 vs 9 TOR
Epic comeback clinches Mariners' ALDS berth
Despite early struggles, Seattle relies on regular-season experience to advance
Mariners never say die, rally back to sweep series from Blue Jays and advance to ALDS
Seattle Flips the Script
Adam Frazier delivered the decisive RBI double to top off a nine-run rally and send the Mariners to the ALDS.
It’s official: One week from today, we will play #PostSEAson Baseball IN SEATTLE!!!
Wild Card Sweep: Chart The Old Time Religion lives!
E M B R A C E
T H E
C H A O S
Never, ever count us out. #SeaUsRise #EmbraceTheChaos
Mariners vs. Blue Jays Wild Card Game 2 Highlights (10/8/22) | MLB Postseason Highlights
WIN, DANCE, ADVANCE: Mariners Overcome 7-Run Deficit to Cap Off Incredible Wild Card Sweep
The Mariners put together a remarkable comeback to shock the Blue Jays and finish off a sweep in the Wild Card Series, advancing to the ALDS vs. Houston.
ALDS BOUND. #EmbraceTheChaos
Mariners Advance to ALDS
TORONTO -- The message from Scott Servais was simple, yet its application far easier said than done. “Expect the expected,” the Mariners manager has repeatedly said in the days leading up to the AL Wild Card Series and throughout this weekend at Rogers Centre.
“When you're in that moment,” Servais said of adversity on the road, “you have to realize you're in that moment. How do you flip it the other way? ... It's going to happen. That's the beauty of playoff baseball.”
MLB Network [BREAKING NEWS] Mariners erase 7-run deficit, sweep Blue Jays to advance ALDS vs. Astros
MLB Network | Mark Derosa SHOCKED Mariners’ miraculous comeback win Blue Jays in AL Wild Card series
Comeback Completed! After Trailing 8-1, the Mariners TAKE THE LEAD in the top of the 9th to move on!
WHAT A COMEBACK! Mariners come back from an 8-1 deficit to finish off the Blue Jays!
Rick Rizzs Calls Mariners Epic Comeback & Wild Card Win (Postgame Celebration Included)
The Seattle Mariners Celebrate Advancing to the ALDS
Adam Frazier's Go-Ahead Double
Call it beauty, resilience or simply unbelievable, the Mariners embodied every bit of it in storming back from a seven-run deficit to stun the Blue Jays in a 10-9 victory that will go down as an instant October classic. The comeback was the second-largest in playoff history, the largest for a team on the road and the
largest in a series-clinching game.
George Kirby, making his first appearance out of the bullpen since short-season ball in his draft year, wasn’t entirely crisp, walking Chapman, but rebounded to strike out Jansen on a check swing, and then got Tapia to fly out harmlessly to send the Mariners to the ALDS.
Albert Einstein, in his Essays Presented to Leo Baeck, writes: “Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of god.”
What a Relief! Starter Kirby Saves the Day
That first career save feeling #SeaUsRise #EmbraceTheChaos
It also secured a berth in the AL Division Series, almost poetically, with division-rival Houston -- the juggernaut Seattle has been chasing for years -- and even more significantly, ensured that Seattle will host a playoff game for the first time since the 2001 ALCS. The Mariners will return to T-Mobile Park for ALDS
Game 3 on Saturday, and if necessary, Game 4 on Sunday, in the best-of-five series.
“To have an opportunity to play in front of all the fans in the Pacific Northwest and how long they've been [waiting],” Servais said. “They're starving for this.”
At this rate, maybe that home game will be the first of many. For a roster that’s mostly never been here before, the Mariners look like (post)seasoned veterans.
“I don’t think about winning one series,” veteran outfielder Mitch Haniger said. “I think about winning the World Series a lot. Like, every day.”
Adam Frazier ripped a go-ahead RBI double with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to score Cal Raleigh, who’d preceded with his own two-bagger into the right-center gap, and sent the visiting dugout into utter jubilation.
Carlos Santana's Three-Run Jack
Yet those moments only became fateful after J.P. Crawford tied the game with his own double, a blooper into shallow center with the bases loaded that cleared them and tied the game at 9 in the eighth inning. Crawford’s heroics were set up after Raleigh, Mitch Haniger and Frazier had each singled. And Raleigh’s base
hit sparked the rally by driving in Eugenio Suárez, who led off with a double off Toronto reliever Anthony Bass.
Crawford’s hit landed so narrowly in between Toronto center fielder George Springer and shortstop Bo Bichette that it led to a nasty collision as both dove for the ball, after which Springer was carted off the field. Springer was “doing OK” postgame.
As for the comeback, it wasn’t just October theater; Saturday’s rally was the Mariners’ largest of at least seven runs since July 26, 2021, a thriller over the Astros that remains among the highlights of this era in Seattle.
Hours felt like eons in how much the dynamic of Saturday’s game shifted. Until the eighth, the script, in every conceivable way, had flipped on the Mariners from their dominant Game 1 win.
Cal Raleigh's RBI Single
Seattle’s oft-reliable arm on the mound was bounced early, the opposing pitcher had both nasty velocity and movement to halt the offense, and even when the Mariners were able to punch back amid a deafening road environment, their bullpen coughed up one run after another, making it look like a rally would be out
of reach.
That followed a hugely anticipated but ultimately disappointing return to Toronto for Robbie Ray, who didn’t pitch deeper than the first batter of the fourth inning, exiting after surrendering four runs, including two massive homers to Teoscar Hernández.
“Honestly, I went back down to the dugout after I came in and cooled off,” Ray said. “And everybody was still upbeat, ready to go, taking really good at-bats. It just seemed like it was gonna break through at some point.”
But the Mariners, one of MLB’s youngest teams this year, were unfazed. Perhaps even more remarkable was how Servais’ forecast had manifested itself, as if the seventh-year skipper had a crystal ball.
“I think when you get in trouble is when you try to flip the momentum and you say, ‘OK, I'm going to be the guy that hits a home run here,' or, 'I'm going to be the guy that strikes out the side here,'" Servais said. "Do the little things. Have a good at-bat. Figure out how to get on base. Create a rally and pass the
baton to the next guy. If you focus on the little things, sometimes big things happen.”
And that's precisely what did happen. The Mariners led MLB in one-run wins each of the past two seasons (34 this year and 33 in 2021), which they believe helps them in these tight games late.
“Just keep chipping away,” Crawford said. “We had a bunch of time left. Just get one here, one there, keep having good [at-bats], keep the line moving, keep getting runners on like we've been doing the whole game, and eventually, we'll find some holes. And we finally found some holes.”
Scott Servais on AL Wild Card Win
The Mariners were already among the teams fans outside the Pacific Northwest could latch onto, with eclectic personalities, a tendency to play in tight games and playing a fun brand of baseball. And their latest victory was the most illustrative encapsulation yet of that identity.
This was at @QueenAnneHall when we saw the fans in Toronto with the Rally Shoe. I don’t know who this is but let’s find him!!
Seattle Mariners icon Mike Cameron joins Good Day Seattle | FOX 13 Seattle
GAME 1
FINAL
SEA 3 vs 0 TOR
'Wired for these moments': Castillo brilliant in Game 1 Win
Raleigh adds another signature HR to his reel
Catcher had clinched postseason berth for Mariners with walk-off blast
Castillo Seizes His Moment
Luis Castillo tossed 7 1/3 scoreless -- a Mariners playoff first -- to get Seattle to within a win of advancing.
Mariners vs. Blue Jays Wild Card Game 1 Highlights (10/7/22) | MLB Postseason Highlights
PREVIEW: 1:07 PM PDT
Mariners seek trip to ALDS
Watch on ESPN: Robbie Ray takes the mound today, making his much-anticipated return to Toronto.
The mighty Mariners win Game 1 of their AL Wild Card series against Toronto with great pitching and another HR by Big Dumper!
Here’s Saturday’s Seattle Times Extra.
by @deanrutz and stories by @RyanDivish @SeaTimesSports
TORONTO -- This was the precise moment that the Mariners envisioned when they aggressively pushed their chips to the middle of the table and acquired Luis Castillo in a Trade Deadline blockbuster.
They mortgaged some of their future to go all-in on the present, but the risk in their minds would be worth the payoff to bring in a “dude,” as manager Scott Servais calls him, to lead them into their first postseason game in 21 years. And exactly 10 weeks after that franchise-propelling deal, Castillo was perhaps even
better than Seattle could have envisioned.
Andrés Muñoz, 103mph
The right-hander overpowered the Blue Jays over 7 1/3 scoreless innings en route to a 4-0 victory in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, becoming the first pitcher in Mariners history to go scoreless that deep in a postseason game. It was the second shutout in Mariners postseason history, joining Game
1 of the 2000 AL Championship Series vs. the Yankees. That night, Freddy Garcia, Jose Paniagua, Arthur Rhodes and Kazuhiro Sasaki silenced NY.
STELLAR PERFORMANCE! Luis Castillo throws absolute gem as Mariners take Game 1 of AL Wild Card!
" The Announcer Cam has Gone International." Rick Rizzs my Bud!!
The effort, aided by a three-spot from Seattle’s bats in the first inning, helped him reach cruise control against arguably the best AL lineup in this postseason field and put the Mariners one win away from advancing to the AL Division Series and a trip to Houston.
“I've said it before -- the fans, the energy in that moment gives me that little extra boost when I'm out there,” Castillo said through interpreter Freddy Llanos. “Like I said before, whenever I go up on the mound, I'm going to give everything that I have in my heart and my body to give the best I can.”
Luis Castillo on his Game 1 Start
To back Castillo early, Eugenio Suárez lined an RBI double that scored Julio Rodríguez , then Cal Raleigh brought him home on a sky-high, two-run homer that sucked out all the electricity brewing among the sellout crowd. Castillo then ensured that there wouldn’t be any chance to give the massive Canadian
contingent anything to cheer about.
Logan Gilbert on Cal Raleigh's "Big Dumper" nickname: "It may be the funniest. It depends how you look at it. I think it's hilarious."
Cal Raleigh's Two-Run Homer
“He has earned the trust of our entire coaching staff, especially our pitching coaches,” Servais said. “Cal is really good at staying in the moment, understanding how to work through a lineup, and based on what the pitcher has that day and what's working and what's not working and having the ability to make in-game
adjustments.”
BIG DUMPER
#Embrace the Chaos
Bomb over the right field fence to make the score 3-0 in the first inning.
After that, the game belonged to Luis Castillo. Staked to a three-run lead, he came out and averaged 100 mph on both his sinker and his four-seamer in the bottom of the first. I’m going to repeat that because it’s bananas. He averaged—averaged—100 mph on both—both— his sinker and his four-seamer.
WATCH Party T-Mobile Park, BIG DUMPER!!!! 2 RUN SHOT 3-0 #Mariners @TMobilePark was jumping today Join in on the fun for Game Two tomorrow 👉🏻 http://Mariners.com/Party
“You could clearly see early on he's wired for these moments, when it's on the line on the biggest stage and the crazy environment,” Servais said. “Being able to put him out there today was a no-brainer for me.”
Cal Raleigh vs Alek Manoah #SeaUsRise
Home Run BOMB IT!!
Exit velo: 99.5 mph Launch angle: 38 deg Proj. distance: 362 ft
This would have been a home run in 25/30 MLB ballparks
SEA (3) @ TOR (0) 1st
Scott Servais on Luis Castillo
The workhorse threw a whopping 108 pitches and only thrice allowed a runner to advance past first base. Yet for most of the outing, even with a massive uptick in velocity on all his pitches, he was mostly pitching to contact and effectively keeping the ball in the park. He struck out four of his final eight batters, but
before that he’d only punched out one.
play being groundouts. Of those same 22, only four were hard-hit (95 mph or higher off the bat), and two of them went for outs.
Luis Castillo's Nasty Pitches
“The velocity is what it is. It's not the velocity itself,” Blue Jays second baseman Whit Merrifield said. “We're used to seeing velocity. It's all throughout the league. But when he's got two different fastballs at that level, he has a sinker pounding out your hands at 99 to 100 [mph], and then he has the four-seam that
he'll throw up and away. It doesn't have that dive. It's got more of a true carry. You're having to make a decision on what that 100 mph pitch is going to do, and that's what makes it tough.”
After watching the K to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., here's Mitch Haniger on Luis Castillo: "He's a killer on the mound. Like I said, I'm happy to have him and so happy to play behind him. It's been so much fun to watch."
Castillo used the two-seamer for his most impressive strikeout of the day, which began over the plate out of hand but sailed way inside to a baffled Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He also jammed one in on Bo Bichette’s hands to induce a soft groundout to second base that ended the only real jam all afternoon, with runners on
first and second base in the fifth inning. He forced a popout to center from Guerrero in the third in the other instance with multiple runners on.
#MLBFieldVision -- Luis Castillo strikes out Vlad Jr. on a 99 mph sinker with 18 inches of run
“It's a very important pitch, the two-seamer,” Castillo said. “It starts off in the middle and then goes towards their hands. It's something I've been working on and worked on throughout the years.”
Castillo is a two-time All-Star and acknowledged as one of the better righty starters in the game, but the dramatic October stage -- on the road in a potentially hostile environment that he never allowed to reach that level -- put this outing into another stratosphere. This could be the first of many postseason starts for
him, too, after he signed a five-year, $108 million extension with the Mariners two weeks ago.
💪🏼 Nothing new for La Piedra 💪🏼
Mitch Haniger, who passionately -- and publicly -- implored ownership to add impact talent last offseason, recalled his reaction to when his wish came true.
“I was ecstatic,” Haniger said. “That's a frontline starter. That's one of the best starters in the game. For us to add a guy like that, it just shows that you know we want to win now.”
Alek Manoah, Whit Merrifield & John Schneider React to Toronto Blue Jays Game 1 Loss vs. Seattle
The Mariners are Cruising
Mariners Hall of Famer Dan Wilson raises flag atop Space Needle
Seattle Mariners Hall of Famer Dan Wilson raised the M's flag on top of the Space Needle before this weekend's wild card games against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Blue Jays vs Mariners (10 /6 /2022) SERIES Game Highlights, MLB Highlights October 6 / 2022
Path to the postSEAson: The Mariners are Headed to the Playoffs
This Is Just The Damn Start
The Time is Now
Ready to Rise
Looking back at Eugenio Suárez's walk-off earlier in the season ahead of the Mariners' Wild Card Series matchup with the Blue Jays.
" THE CALL @TheDaveSimsShow "
"THE MOMENT"
Cal sends us all to the promised land.
It’s storybook stuff
JULIOOOOOOOOOOO Just 1 of his 28 for the Season
Scott Servais Postgame Speech to Mariners Fans
Relive the day that the Mariners Clinched their postSEAson Berth.
Sam Haggerty to a groin injury with two outs in the ninth inning put an even more sour taste on an already tough night for Seattle. Haggerty, the club’s best baserunner and arguably its most valuable bench piece, was on crutches postgame and will undergo an MRI on Tuesday morning.
“Haggs has had such a great season,” manager Scott Servais said. “He’s kind of like that spark-plug guy -- you fire him in there, and he makes things happen.”
By Daniel Kramer @DKramer_ By Keegan Matheson @KeeganMatheson
TORONTO -- After regular-season campaigns with very few dull moments, two postseason-hungry clubs are ready for October.
The Blue Jays and Mariners face off in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series on Friday at Rogers Centre.
Seattle snapped the largest active playoff drought in MLB by securing the second AL Wild Card spot with a 90-72 regular-season record, while Toronto will play a postseason game in front of its fans for the first time since 2016.
Since the Blue Jays secured home-field advantage by finishing the regular season with the best record among AL Wild Card teams, at 92-70, all of the games in the best-of-three set will be played at Rogers Centre. The winner gets a date with the Astros in the American League Division Series.
Jerry Dipoto Talks
For both teams, this moment is a balancing act between excitement and the demands of the spotlight.
“Pressure is something you put in your tires,” said righty Alek Manoah, who will start Game 1 for the Blue Jays against the Mariners’ Luis Castillo. “This is just baseball. This is just a game. Understand [that,] go out there and have some fun and leave the pressure for your tires.”
“It’s the postseason, where confidence can play an important role here,” Castillo said through interpreter Freddy Llanos. “And when I go up on that mound, I'm very confident.”
A young Luis Castillo had a chance meeting at a restaurant once with Pedro Martinez. They've been close since, so much so that Luis now playfully calls Pedro his dad. "I fell in love with Castillo right away," Pedro said.
Luis Castillo on Wild Card Series
When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 1: Friday, 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, ESPN (Sportsnet in Canada)
Game 2: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, ESPN (Sportsnet in Canada)
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, ABC (Sportsnet in Canada)
All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games are not available live internationally (archives are available approximately 90 minutes after the game ends).
Eugenio Suárez - A few words from Geno
What might the starting lineups look like?
Mariners: Manager Scott Servais hinted on Thursday that the lineup will likely look similar to what he’s rolled out in recent weeks, with Julio Rodríguez and Ty France at the top, followed by Mitch Haniger, Eugenio Suárez and Carlos Santana in some order. Servais likes to go right-left when possible, especially against
a power pitcher like Manoah.
1. Julio Rodríguez, CF
2. Ty France, 1B
3. Eugenio Suárez, 3B
4. Carlos Santana, DH
5. Mitch Haniger, RF
6. Cal Raleigh, C
7. Jarred Kelenic, LF
8. Adam Frazier, 2B
9. J.P. Crawford, SS
Scott Servais on Wild Card
Blue Jays: Toronto’s biggest decision comes at the DH spot, but with Alejandro Kirk catching Manoah in Game 1, Danny Jansen has been swinging the bat too well to keep him out of the lineup. This is close to the order that the Blue Jays were using down the stretch against the Yankees and Red Sox as they tried to
clinch a postseason spot, then home field.
1. George Springer, CF
2. Bo Bichette, SS
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
4. Alejandro Kirk, C
5. Matt Chapman, 3B
6. Teoscar Hernández, RF
7. Raimel Tapia, LF
8. Danny Jansen, DH
9. Whit Merrifield, 2B
Alejandro Kirk on Alek Manoah
Who are the starting pitchers?
Mariners: Castillo (8-6, 2.99 ERA) takes the mound bringing supreme confidence after a stellar 11-start stretch after the Mariners acquired him ahead of the Trade Deadline. Though his postseason experience is limited to 2020, when there were no fans in the stands, Castillo has already established himself as a big-
game pitcher and welcomes this stage.
Blue Jays: Manoah (16-7, 2.24 ERA) opens the series, and the Blue Jays couldn’t be happier. The big right-hander is built for the postseason and seems to feed off the moment and crowd as well as anyone in baseball. September’s AL Pitcher of the Month is peaking at the right time, and he should benefit from some
extra rest just like he did in his last outing.
Alek Manoah on Starting Game 1
Any injuries of note?
Mariners: Sam Haggerty (Grade 2 right adductor strain) won’t be on the postseason roster after suffering the injury on Monday, dealing the Mariners a big blow for their sparkplug off the bench. Jesse Winker (cervical disc bulge) also hit the 10-day IL this week, though his role was more unclear given his significant
defensive struggles and brutal second half at the plate. Instead, the Mariners will lean on Taylor Trammell and Abraham Toro, the players who were recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to take those guys’ places.
Blue Jays: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (left hamstring strain) and Santiago Espinal (left oblique strain) both flew home from Baltimore early this week to continue their rehabs in the controlled atmosphere at Rogers Centre, and each decision is expected to come right down to the wire. It’s also a question of just how ready
either would be after Gurriel said Monday that he may only be ready to pinch-hit by the postseason opener. Would that be enough, especially considering the talent already in this lineup?
The only issue on the pitching side is expected to be a minor one and no longer an issue by Game 2, but Kevin Gausman left his final regular-season outing with a cut on his right middle finger, near the nail. Both Gausman and manager John Schneider said this shouldn’t impact his expected Game 2 start, but it’s
worth keeping an eye on over the next 24 hours.
Schneider on Playoff Appearance
Who is hot and who is not?
Mariners: Rodríguez rocketed his 28th homer in the regular-season finale, putting the finishing touches on an AL Rookie of the Year Award bid, and given how much he already relishes the big stage, it’s a strong bet that he’ll impact this series. As for who’s not, Crawford’s inconsistencies have stretched all the way
into a two-month period, with the shortstop slashing .200/.340/.259 (.599 OPS) over the final two months.
Rodríguez's LeadOff Homer (28)
Blue Jays: Several Blue Jays are peaking at the right time, which started with Bichette in September. Bichette hit .403 with a 1.134 OPS that month, his 48 hits the most in a single month by a Blue Jays hitter. Merrifield has caught fire since taking over everyday reps from Espinal, too, flashing some power down the
stretch and completely flipping the script on his ‘22 season with the Blue Jays. Jansen, who started the year hot then hit the IL with a fractured bone in his hand, is back in a groove, too, and could be an X-factor in this series at the bottom of the lineup.
If there’s one hitter the Blue Jays need more from, though, it’s Guerrero. He’s had his moments, like his walk-off hit to beat the Yankees in 10 innings on Sept. 26, but he simply hasn’t been the hitter everyone saw in ‘21, when he looked like a perennial MVP candidate and Triple Crown threat. Guerrero’s potential
impact is unrivaled, though, and the Blue Jays need him to break a game open.
Mariners in the final game of the regular season, competently executing this not-entirely-routine play at second:
“He brings a spark,” says J.P. Crawford. “He keeps the same energy all the time.”
“He’s very consistent,” agrees Scott Servais. “I think when you’re not consistent, players can see through it. He doesn’t back off, he holds guys accountable every day. And I think if you want to be true to your craft, you have to be good at that. And it doesn’t matter who it is—whether it’s Ty, whether it’s J.P., if it’s a
guy filling in for a day, he just doesn’t back off. And players appreciate that. They might not appreciate it in the moment, but they appreciate it in the long-term.”
Ty France echoed the skipper’s sentiments. “It doesn’t matter who you are, he’s going to treat you the same.” And while players respect Hill for his knowledge and his impact on the game—during the Braves series, rookie shortstop Vaughn Grissom shyly approached Hill to shake his hand—they respect the man behind
the experience just as much as the experience itself. “He’s very genuine,” France says, who saw Hill wearing a baseball cap with a bone on it, a nod to his nickname of “Bone,” and immediately purchased similar caps for his fellow infielders.
If “consistency” was Hill’s most-referenced trait, “genuine” was the second-most used word. “He’s true,” says Servais. “He’s not fake. You can’t fake it with players. The players have changed, the personalities have changed, but at the end of the day, good players want to be coached.”
There’s something about Perry
Mariners infield coach Perry Hill’s defensive wizardry is rooted in respect
Anything else I should know?
Mariners: Seattle hasn’t been on this stage in a generation, and there are only a handful of players on the roster who have any postseason experience. Because of how green they are, they could be susceptible to a sink-or-swim effect, but they’ve also shown late-inning resiliency to punch back when the stakes are
high.
Blue Jays: The Blue Jays are ready to be aggressive, a mindset they’ve been preaching since Schneider took the reins in July. That starts on the bases, where the Blue Jays have done a much better job of taking extra bags, but it could extend to bullpen usage, too. Jordan Romano, the Canadian closer coming off a
season with a 2.11 ERA and 36 saves, has made nine multi-inning (1 1/3 or more frames) appearances this season. They certainly won’t shy away from another.
Bruce Fields
"There are so many kids that grew up in the Pacific Northwest that don't know anything about the Mariners being in the playoffs," Servais said. "And now we get to show them."