M’s rally from 7 down to beat Jays, reach ALDS

TORONTO — Fueled by an inconceivable comeback, the Seattle Mariners are into the American League Division Sequence with a 10-9 win on Saturday to finish a sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays of their AL Wild Card Sequence.

The Mariners have been down 8-1 within the backside of the fifth inning earlier than scoring 4 runs within the sixth, 4 within the eighth and one within the high of the ninth to get the victory. It was the largest street comeback win in playoff historical past and baseball’s largest comeback victory to clinch a postseason collection.

Making the franchise’s first playoff look since 2001, Seattle trailed 9-6 within the high of the eighth inning. With two out and the bases loaded, J.P. Crawford hit a blooper to heart towards All-Star nearer Jordan Romano. Middle fielder George Springer and shortstop Bo Bichette went laborious after the ball, nevertheless it landed as the 2 collided. All three runners scored on the double, tying it at 9.

Adam Frazier hit the tiebreaking RBI double within the ninth inning to present the Mariners their fourth postseason collection win in franchise historical past; in addition they gained the ALDS in 1995, 2000 and 2001.

The Mariners have been 35-1 to come back again and win the sport at Caesars Sportsbook once they have been down seven runs. Seattle acquired so long as 150-1 at sportsbook PointsBet.

Cal Raleigh, who hit an RBI single for Seattle within the eighth, reached on a one-out double towards Romano within the ninth. After Mitch Haniger flied out, Frazier drove in Raleigh with a double to proper.

Bichette walked, stole second and superior to 3rd on a grounder within the eighth, however Andres Munoz retired Alejandro Kirk to finish the menace. George Kirby, Seattle’s eighth pitcher of the sport, dealt with the ninth for his first profession save. Matt Chapman walked with one out, however Danny Jansen struck out and Raimel Tapia lined out to finish the sport.

The Mariners then poured out of their dugout and celebrated behind the mound. Additionally they beat Toronto 4-0 in Recreation 1 of the best-of-three collection on Friday. Subsequent up for Seattle is Houston within the ALDS.

In the meantime, after battling the previous month to host an AL wild-card collection inside their sometimes raucous ballpark, the Blue Jays’ season abruptly got here to an finish.

Expectations had been excessive for Toronto to go on a protracted playoff run. They have been based mostly largely on the staff’s offensive success within the remaining weeks of the common season. After the Blue Jays went 13-14 throughout the month of August, they rallied by way of the remainder of the schedule.

Toronto was 22-11 in its remaining 33 video games, and even took 5 of the six video games that instantly preceded the postseason. A win at Baltimore final Monday clinched the AL’s high wild-card spot and home-field benefit within the spherical for Toronto.

Toronto acquired off to a quick begin in Recreation 2. Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run homer within the second and a solo drive within the fourth towards Robbie Ray, who gained the AL Cy Younger Award whereas pitching for the Blue Jays final 12 months. Hernandez joined teammate Danny Jansen and former Toronto slugger Jose Bautista as the one Blue Jays gamers with multihomer video games within the postseason.

After Ty France scored on Tim Mayza’s wild pitch within the sixth, Carlos Santana gave Seattle’s comeback a giant enhance with a three-run homer. Jansen made it 9-5 with an RBI single off Penn Murfee within the seventh, however Toronto’s bullpen could not shut it out.

Anthony Bass gave up hits to all three batters he confronted within the eighth, together with Raleigh’s RBI single, forcing interim Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider to name on Romano for a six-out save. Romano gave up a single to Frazier and struck out Santana and Dylan Moore, however Crawford tied it with a first-pitch double.

Toronto deliberately walked Julio Rodriguez earlier than Romano struck out France to finish the inning. Ray, who signed a $115 million, five-year contract with Seattle in November, allowed 4 runs and 6 hits in three-plus innings.

These playoff video games have been the primary held at Rogers Centre since 2016, when the Blue Jays misplaced in 5 video games to Cleveland within the American League Championship Sequence. Cleveland went on to lose that World Sequence to the Chicago Cubs.

Toronto did seem within the 2020 wild-card collection, additionally getting eradicated in two video games. The upper-seeded Tampa Bay Rays hosted that collection, which occurred throughout a stretch of COVID-impacted seasons that had the Blue Jays taking part in residence video games at their spring coaching facility in Dunedin, Florida, and their Triple-A affiliate’s residence park in Buffalo, New York.

The Related Press and ESPN’s David Purdum contributed to this story.