October 8, 2022

Mariners Stage Epic Comeback In Toronto To Advance To ALDS

The second (and, ultimately, deciding) games of the American League Wild Card series on Saturday were both extremely memorable.

Cleveland and Tampa Bay were tied 0-0 after 14 innings (a circumstance that had never happened before in postseason history) before a walkoff home run in the 15th clinched the best-of-three series for the Guardians.

Later on, the Mariners – in the postseason for the first time in 21 years – rallied from a seven-run deficit in the final four innings to edge the Blue Jays 10-9, as Toronto's fans watched their season go up in a puff of (big) smoke.

Mariners  - 000 014 041 - 10 13  0
Blue Jays - 021 140 100 -  9 12  1

The Jays had their chances – and blew them. Seattle loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the sixth. Toronto got two outs but could not get the third before a wild pitch and a three-run dong by Carlos Santana closed the gap to three runs.

In the top of the eighth, a Mariners fan named Ben, watching with thousands of others at the team's park in Seattle, put one of his shoes on his head. Seattle scored one run and had the bases loaded with no outs (again). Toronto got two outs (again). And the Mariners got the big hit (again): a three-run, game-tying double from J. P. Crawford. No doubt Mariners fans will be balancing shoes on their heads when their team faces the Astros in the ALDS on Tuesday.

The Mariners are only the third team to come back from seven or more runs to win a postseason game.

1929 Philadelphia Athletics – World Series Game 4 – The Cubs led 8-0 before the Athletics scored 10 runs off four different Chicago pitchers in the bottom of the seventh inning, winning the game 10-8. Philadelphia won the World Series in Game 5.

2008 Red Sox – ALCS Game 5 – Boston faced elimination and trailed the Rays 0-7 in the seventh at Fenway Park. Tampa Bay had a 99.4% of winning. Three-run homers from David Ortiz and J.D. Drew in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, helped the Red Sox tie the game before Drew's game-winning single in the ninth. It was the greatest comeback by any team facing elimination. The Red Sox also won Game 6, but dropped Game 7.

Three of the four Wild Card series are over:

Guardians over Rays 2-1 and 1-0 (15)
Mariners over Blue Jays 4-0 and 10-9
Phillies over Cardinals 6-3 and 2-0

The Padres and Mets are tied 1-1. New York won 7-3 today, after San Diego won 7-1 on Friday. Game 3 is scheduled for Sunday at 7 PM ET.

by allan at 11:56 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)