The Seattle Mariners haven’t been to the playoffs for the last 21 years. The Mariners’ playoff drought was the longest in any pro sport. The last time they were in the postseason was 2001, which was also their best season ever. Seattle is one of only six MLB teams to have never won a World Series and the only MLB team to never play in a World Series. Some of that looks to be changing this season though.
Coming into the last day of September the Mariners had six games to make this happen, but they only needed one. The Mariners needed a Baltimore Orioles loss or a win to seal their spot. With Baltimore winning, the Mariners knew they needed to win after the second inning. That put Seattle’s fate in their own hands. Which only made things that much more exciting for the fans watching the Mariners play.
The last season that Seattle was in the postseason they broke the American League record for the most wins in a season. They also tied the record with the 1906 Chicago Cubs for most wins in a season in MLB. Although this season hasn’t been quite that impressive, you could still feel that there was something different about this season.
Then just like that, the Seattle Mariners playoff drought was over. The Mariners defeated the A’s by a score of 2-1. It happened in a dramatic fashion that only seemed right for ending such a historic drought. It was the bottom of the ninth with two outs. Cal Raleigh came in as a pinch-hitter for Luis Torrens. On a 3-2 count, he hit a walk-off home run to win the game and send the Mariners to the postseason. “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.
The celebration for the team and the fans was a testament to how big this was for them. Two decades of frustration all let out in one night. There are still further goals for them all, a World Series. Although for tonight it’s time to celebrate the accomplishment already achieved.
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