Seattle, WA
‘Best day ever’ for Seattle Mariners’ unlikely Game 5 hero
SEATTLE – With a runner on second base and his team threatening to tie the game up, Seattle Mariners infielder Leo Rivas knew it could be his time make an impact.
He just didn’t know the type of impact he was about to make.
On to the ALCS: Polanco lifts Mariners over Tigers in ALDS epic
The M’s found themselves with their best chance to score in Game 5 of the ALDS since the second inning when Jorge Polanco walked with one out in the seventh and Josh Naylor moved him to second with a two-out single.
With Detroit right-hander Kyle Finnegan on the mound, manager Dan Wilson turned to the left-handed bat of Dominic Canzone to pinch-hit for designated hitter Mitch Garver. Meanwhile, Rivas was thinking he might run for Polanco to give Seattle a little extra speed at second base.
Instead, Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch countered with a left-hander out of the bullpen when Canzone was announced to pinch-hit. Wilson countered that counter with a move of his own, giving the longtime minor leaguer Rivas his first career postseason at-bat in one of the most critical moments of the season – and on Rivas’ 28th birthday, too.
Rivas’ last at-bat had come in the Mariners’ regular season finale Sept. 28. But a lack of playing time hadn’t stopped the Maracay, Venezuela, native from delivering when his name was called upon earlier this year, and it didn’t Friday night during the decisive Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the Tigers, either.
Rivas stepped up to the plate and smoothly stroked a single into left field, driving in the tying run as Seattle went on to outlast Detroit 3-2 in a 15-inning marathon and clinch their first AL Championship Series berth since 2001.
LEO RIVAS TIES IT!!! #SeizeTheMoment pic.twitter.com/FdtiEhZ26L
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 11, 2025
“I was like, ‘All right, Polo is on second. I might run for him,’” Rivas said postgame. “I don’t know if I’m going to pinch-hit right now, but I was thinking of running more than pinch-hitting. Then they just told me that (I was going to hit), and I thought, ‘Let’s go.’”
Leo Rivas was prepared to potentially pinch run for Jorge Polanco before he came and delivered the game-tying hit in the seventh. pic.twitter.com/5NiIhF4mqc
— Zac Hereth (@ZacHereth) October 11, 2025
It was certainly the biggest hit of Rivas’ life, and it was type that will put him forever in Mariners lore as an unlikely postseason hero.
But while Rivas’ big moment may come as a surprise to many, especially those who don’t watch the M’s on a daily basis, it wasn’t much of a surprise to those who are around him everyday in the clubhouse.
“Man, he’s one of those guys that – he’s always prepared,” Polanco said. “He’s always working. He’s always doing his thing, getting early to the field and doing all that kind of stuff. So I feel pretty good about him.
“It is his birthday today too, so it’s a special day for him, and I’m glad he got that at-bat and delivered in a big moment.”
Manager Dan Wilson said there was some thought as to whether or not they should leave Canzone in to face Tigers lefty Tyler Holton, but the switch-hitting Rivas had proven in the limited chances he’s received this year that he’s more than adequate from the right side of the plate.
“He swings the bat very well from the right side, and I just thought he puts together such a good at-bat and he waits for a pitch,” Wilson said. “And he got a pitch and put a really good swing on it. When you’re not out there regularly, that’s a difficult task. But he was up to the task tonight. It was a huge hit.”
As far as the person goes, Rivas is an easy one to root for.
He’s beloved in the clubhouse by many. He spent 10 seasons grinding through the minor leagues before getting his first taste of big leagues last year. And even though he was productive when up with the big club this year and tore up Triple-A while in Tacoma, he found himself in the minors again for a good chunk of this season.
“All glory to God. He knows what I’ve been through,” Rivas said. “… I’m just happy with God, that he’s been good for me, for my family too, that he keeps me where I’m at right now. I’m just grateful.”
As for where Friday ranks for Rivas in terms of birthdays? It’s pretty high on the list.
“Best day ever,” he said. “Best day ever.”
Seattle Mariners coverage
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• Rizzs calls ALDS Game 5 win: ‘The Mariners win the battle in Seattle’
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• Josh Naylor, crowd noise make early mark on Game 5 for Mariners
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Seattle, WA
Seattle weather: Dry day Tuesday, showers return tonight
SEATTLE – We start off dry on Tuesday, then the chance of showers returns this evening. We have been dry for 14 days now with zero measurable rainfall at SEA Airport. Late Tuesday into Wednesday we could see potential freezing rain at the passes. Winds will be gusty at times Tuesday from the east, then switch to more westerly winds by Wednesday.
We start off dry on Tuesday, then the chance of showers returns this evening.
What’s next:
We will see mostly cloudy skies Tuesday with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s, with showers returning by the late evening hours.
We will see mostly cloudy skies Tuesday with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s.
A few showers will start to move in later Tuesday, with snowflakes or freezing rain into early Wednesday.
A few showers will start to move in later Tuesday, with snowflakes or freezing rain into early Wednesday.
Winds are forecasted to pick up Wednesday as our next system starts to roll through. Strongest winds will be along the coast and north interior.
Winds are forecasted to pick up Wednesday as our next system starts to roll through. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Shower chances continue through the rest of the week with milder afternoon temperatures. Snow levels will also be high through Friday, reaching 6000 to 7000ft. Forecast is looking a little drier for the weekend, with a few sprinkles still in the forecast for now.
Shower chances continue through the rest of the week with milder afternoon temperatures.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
Seattle, WA
Walker ‘set a tone’ for Seattle Seahawks’ NFC title win
Over the past month, Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has seemingly struck the right balance between attacking downhill and taking the yardage in front of him, while still mixing in the tantalizing elusiveness and explosion that makes him such a dangerous home-run threat.
It’s resulted in the best stretch of his career.
Report details Seahawks WR Kupp’s turmoil with Rams
And it was on display again in Sunday night’s NFC Championship, as Walker totaled 111 yards from scrimmage to help Seattle advance to the Super Bowl with a 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Walker rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while adding four catches for 49 yards. And he did so while taking on the bulk of the workload in the Seahawks’ first game since second-leading rusher Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending torn ACL.
“I thought Ken Walker was outstanding last night, considering he was being hit in the backfield (on some plays) almost as soon as he was handed the ball,” Bob Stelton said Monday on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. “He was driving the pile. The legs were churning.
“It just really felt like he set a tone,” Stelton added. “He ran with an attitude. And it was really cool to see that, because they needed it.”
Kenneth Walker III TOUCHDOWN. Seattle starts fast.
LARvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/iH8SOGpK5o— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026
Walker set that tone on the Seahawks’ opening drive, turning a potential loss of yardage into a hard-fought 4-yard gain while bulldozing his way to the Rams’ 2-yard line. Then, on the ensuing third-and-goal play, Walker showcased his spectacular explosion by bouncing outside and racing around the edge for a 2-yard TD to put Seattle on the board.
Walker really dazzled on the next possession, when he led the Seahawks on a field-goal drive with an impressive three-play sequence. It began with Walker bursting through a hole for an 8-yard gain. On the next play, he unleashed a jaw-dropping juke on linebacker Omar Speights for another 8-yard gain. And he followed that by taking a screen pass for 14 more yards.
“That juke he put on Omar Speights, that was amazing,” Stelton said. “… He had the defender grabbing at air.”
This was nasty by Kenneth Walker III
LARvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/9V7pJ3DQCd— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026
During a third-quarter touchdown drive, Walker had another tough, physical run where he pushed the pile an extra 5 yards for an 11-yard gain.
And in the game’s closing minutes, Walker kickstarted a pivotal clock-chewing drive by catching a short pass in the flat and eluding three defenders on his way to a 15-yard gain.
“He had a lot of great runs,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said during his Monday afternoon press conference. “He really did. And talk about hidden yardage within that game, he’s responsible for a lot of those hidden yards.
“I mean, we’d like to block him a little bit better at points. But when you have a guy like K9, he can make it right for you, so that was awesome.”
More on the Seattle Seahawks
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• Seattle Seahawks had a brilliant way to get JSN open in NFC title win
• Seattle Seahawks’ Emmanwori ‘stood out all game’ in NFC Championship
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Seattle, WA
Riq Woolen’s taunting foul highlights inconsistency
Every few years, the NFL makes taunting a “point of emphasis” for the coming season. That’s a kind way of saying to the officials, “You haven’t been doing your jobs properly. Please start doing so.”
And even with taunting and sportsmanship a point of emphasis again in 2025, the game officials still call taunting far too inconsistently. That fact is proven almost every week, when the league imposes fines for taunting fouls that weren’t flagged in real time.
On Sunday, in a key moment of the NFC Championship, the officials flagged Seattle cornerback Riq Woolen for taunting. His conduct was aimed not at any one opponent, but at the Rams’ sideline. Which conjured a memory of the ridiculous taunting call on former Bears defensive end Cassius Marsh for mean-mugging the Steelers’ sideline during a 2021 Monday night game, the last time taunting was a “point of emphasis.”
The 15-yard foul and automatic first down saved the Rams from having to punt while down 11 points with 17:20 to play.
While Woolen crossed the line, the problem is no one truly knows where the line is — and when or if the officials will be policing it in real time. Taunting doesn’t get called on a regular basis. Which sends mixed signals to players and teams about what is and isn’t acceptable. Which sets the stage for a player to surrender to a human moment without realizing that they’re setting themselves up for a foul.
Complicating matters for Woolen was the fact that (if you watch the broadcast closely) his generalized taunt eventually put him in the vicinity of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. And Stafford was not pleased. Which worked against Woolen on the very next play, when he was covering Rams receiver Puka Nacua. Stafford targeted Woolen and the eleven-point lead shrunk to four in a flash.
It’s impressive that the Seahawks were able to keep things from snowballing, especially after Woolen and defensive back Nick Emmanwori were jawing on the sideline in the aftermath of the drive. The point for now is that inconsistency in officiating creates plenty of issues, including confusing players, coaches, viewers who don’t know what will, and won’t, spark a flag.
The situation justifies a conversation on whether the whole get-off-my-lawn approach to taunting should be revisited. The league’s thinking is that taunting creates hard feelings that will prompt the tauntee to look for a way to get back at the taunter later in the game, possibly by inflicting a big hit (legal or otherwise).
They say it’s rooted in sportsmanship. The truth is that it comes from the broader concern about player safety. And if one player isn’t looking for a way to take a free shot at another player, the chances of an extra concussion or two landing on the total annual number of head injuries are minimized — which contributes to a valuable P.R. mechanism for arguing that the game is “safer than ever.”
And which in turn justifies the ongoing obsession for an 18th regular-season game.
At some point, however, the league may need to admit that the officials simply can’t (or won’t) pull the trigger on every taunt that happens. And if the league isn’t willing to abandon the no-taunting position, maybe the better approach is to treat taunting like the hip-drop tackle, which is rarely if ever flagged and which is addressed after the fact with fines.
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