Mariners: World Series Dreams Vanish, Defeat in the ALCS

In an encounter full of emotions, the Seattle Mariners saw their dream of reaching the World Series vanish, being only eight outs away from glory. The team’s 49th season was shaping up to be one of the most painful for the fans.

Pitcher Eduard Bazardo gave up a three-run home run to George Springer in the seventh inning, sealing the Mariners’ defeat to the Toronto Blue Jays with a score of 4-3 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

I hate using the word failure, but it is a failure. What we expected was to reach the World Series and win it. That is the goal and the standard, and that is what we want to be held accountable for.

Cal Raleigh, Mariners star

After conquering the American League West Division title for the first time since 2001, expectations for the Mariners were high in the postseason. However, their aspirations of reaching the World Series were cut short.

Obviously, it hurts. But it’s also part of the game.

Julio Rodríguez, center fielder

Seattle arrived in Toronto with a 3-2 lead in the series, one victory away from bringing the World Series to the Pacific Northwest for the first time in its history. The only team in the league that has never played in the Series did not achieve that victory. Although the Mariners failed to lead in the Game 6 defeat (6-2), they took the lead in the first inning of Game 7 thanks to a double by Rodríguez, who then scored thanks to a single by Josh Naylor. Rodríguez’s fourth home run of the postseason put Seattle ahead 2-1 in the third inning. Raleigh added his 65th home run of the year in the fifth, his fifth in the postseason, extending the lead to 3-1. Bryan Woo, who returned on Friday after a pectoral injury that kept him out for almost a month, replaced starting pitcher George Kirby at the start of the fifth inning. Woo walked Addison Barger on five pitches to lead off the seventh. Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to center and Andrés Giménez, batting ninth, laid down a sacrifice bunt. The Mariners’ manager, Dan Wilson, sent Bazardo to the mound, who started Springer with an inside sinker, and then dropped another sinker over the plate, at knee height. Springer hit his 23rd home run in the postseason. Wilson stated that he did not regret choosing Bazardo over closer Andres Muñoz.

You make your decisions, and sometimes you have to live and die with them. Based on how Bazardo has pitched all season, we were comfortable with the situation. It just didn’t go the way we wanted.

Dan Wilson, Mariners manager

Seattle failed to connect any hits in the last four innings, and the season ended when Leo Rivas, Dominic Canzone, and Rodriguez were struck out by Jeff Hoffman in the ninth.

I know this hurts and there’s no doubt it’s going to hurt. It’s a special team. It’s a shame we had to come out on the wrong side of this game.

Dan Wilson, Mariners manager

Wilson, who was a catcher for the Mariners from 1994 to 2005, reaching the American League Championship Series three times, lamented not having been able to get past Game 6 until this season.

All of us have now tasted how close we can be and how good this team can be. Once you have that, that’s what you fight for again next year, and I know that will continue to be the goal.

Dan Wilson, Mariners manager