The Seattle Mariners are returning to the playoffs after more than two decades. Thanks to a 2-1 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night, Mariners improved to an 86-70 record, which is enough to secure second place in AL West and an AL wild-card divisional series appearance.
The Mariners had to work hard to get their playoff-clinching win. Unable to score after the top of the second inning, the teams entered tied 1-1- in the bottom of the ninth before Cal Raleigh homered Domingo Acevedo’s pitch to kickstart a celebration in Seattle.
“I remember the moment when I knew it was fair and looking at the team and everybody’s jumping. It was just crazy,” Raleigh said after the game.
“It’s better than maybe what you could dream it to be,” Seattle manager Scott Servais added.
The Seattle Mariners made their last playoff appearance in 2001 when they won record-tying 116 regular season games. The Mariners were eliminated in the AL Championship Series that postseason and never returned until now. This is despite the fact they had eight above .500 seasons and won 90+ games three times.
The Mariners’ playoff drought of 21 years was not only the longest in MLB but also the longest in all four major American leagues. However, they still remain the only team that never made the World Series.
