Surging Mariners secure one clinch, eye 'big one'

SEATTLE -- In the end, erstwhile they needed a large hit, it was Josh Naylor, the antheral who brought specified a noticeable vigor to this surging Seattle Mariners squad implicit these past 2 months, who delivered it.

His eighth-inning, bases-loaded three-run treble Tuesday nighttime triggered a 4-3, come-from-behind victory implicit the Colorado Rockies, sent the Mariners backmost into the postseason and placed them connected the cusp of a long-awaited part title. The past clip the Mariners won the American League West, it was 2001, a twelvemonth highlighted by 116 regular-season wins. That tin alteration arsenic aboriginal arsenic Wednesday, with either different triumph by them oregon different nonaccomplishment by the Houston Astros.

But first, the Mariners celebrated their archetypal postseason clinch since 2022 -- and hoped for galore more.

"We wanna bash each of 'em -- and a large 1 successful the end," Naylor said, puffing connected a cigar conscionable steps distant from a champagne-and-beer solemnisation successful the mediate of the Mariners' clubhouse. "With a bully parade astir the city."

Seattle remains the lone existent large league metropolis that has yet to big a World Series game, but this year's squad is continually inspiring anticipation for October.

Tuesday's triumph was the Mariners' 5th successful a enactment and 15th successful a agelong of 16 games -- instantly pursuing a 6-15 agelong that made fans wonderment if they would beryllium poised for different late-season slide. It followed a resounding expanse successful Houston, 1 successful which the Mariners ne'er trailed. And it has them reasoning their champion mightiness beryllium up of them.

The Mariners' vaunted rotation -- minus Bryan Woo, nursing a pectoral injury the squad hopes won't support him retired of the playoffs -- is dominating again similar truthful galore expected astatine the commencement of the season. Their lineup, bolstered by the midseason additions of Naylor and chap country infielder Eugenio Suarez, is producing. Their bullpen looks lethal. In a twelvemonth erstwhile practically each squad possesses glaring weaknesses and has navigated pugnacious stretches, the Mariners are making a lawsuit for being the astir complete.

"There is simply a batch of enactment to do, starting with the division," said Dan Wilson, the longtime Mariners catcher successful his archetypal afloat play arsenic their manager. "Hopefully we get that done sooner than aboriginal and we support going. But there's a batch up of us. And this squad I deliberation is acceptable and primed for it."

The Mariners won 90 games and snuck into the playoffs, ending a 21-year drought, successful 2022. They followed by winning back-to-back games successful Toronto during the wild-card circular but mislaid 3 consecutive heart-wrenching ones to the Astros successful the Division Series, the past 1 an 18-inning shutout. In 2023, they flamed retired successful September and were eliminated connected the penultimate time of the regular season. In 2024, they blew a 10-game pb successful the part and were eliminated with 3 games left.

"These past 2 years person felt truly long," Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh said. "Not going back, it's been hurtful. A batch of pain."

That struggle, immoderate of the players believe, helped nutrient this moment.

"Those years served its intent -- to get america stronger," Mariners halfway fielder Julio Rodriguez said. "To get america successful a amended position. To grow."

Raleigh astatine 1 constituent enactment his limb astir Mariners president of shot operations Jerry Dipoto, lamented however they had conscionable played 8 inni...