LOGAN GILBERT

The Seattle Mariners believe snapping their 21-year playoff drought is only the beginning.

After all this time, Seattle was only guaranteed one single postseason game in their city. But as fans celebrated yet another chance at the pennant on Seattle's field, the crowd broke into a spontaneous "Let's go Mariners!" “It's a little harder,” Mitch Haniger, the longest tenured Mariners player, who will enter free agency this offseason, said. Sports are like safely playacting at geopolitical conflict — but the city of Seattle doesn’t annex Houston if they advance. For the Mariners, in particular, though, the opportunity to play more baseball meant a great deal to a lot of people.

The Houston Astros were five outs away from facing a 1-0 deficit in the ALDS, but Yordan Alvarez blasted a walk-off, three-run homer to turn the tables.

Astros reliever Phil Maton says he broke his right pinkie when he punched a locker in frustration after Houston’s regular-season finale and will miss the postseason.

When Justin Verlander takes the mound for the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners, it will have been almost three years since his last playoff appearance.

Aside from the clinching a spot in the postseason, Seattle stayed 1 1/2 games behind Toronto for the top wild-card spot and one half-game ahead of Tampa Bay as the three continue to jockey for seeding. It was all about punching the final AL ticket and ending two decades without the guarantee of playoff baseball. AWARD SEASONThe Seattle chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America presented its year end awards before the game. UP NEXTAthletics: LHP JP Sears (6-3, 4.22) makes his 12th start of the season and ninth since joining the A’s. Sears is 3-3 with a 5.36 ERA in his starts with Oakland, but beat the Mariners on Sept. 20 allowing one unearned run in five innings.

Cal Raleigh hit a game-winning home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Seattle Mariners ended the longest playoff drought in baseball with a 2-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

APTOPIX Yankees Mariners Baseball New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates with Tim Locastro after hitting a solo home run on a pitch from Seattle Mariners' Ryan Borucki during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) (John Froschauer)SEATTLE — (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his 44th homer, Josh Donaldson also went deep and drove in three runs, and the New York Yankees snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Seattle Mariners 9-4 on Monday night. Donaldson doubled twice and Andrew Benintendi also had two doubles and three RBIs as the Yankees hammered Seattle pitching. New York manager Aaron Boone held a team meeting ahead of the series opener in Seattle after the Yankees were swept in St. Louis last weekend. Castillo allowed three runs and struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings last week at Yankee Stadium in his first start for Seattle.

Aaron Judge hit his 44th homer, Josh Donaldson went deep and drove in three runs, and the New York Yankees snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Seattle Mariners 9-4.

Yankees Mariners Baseball New York Yankees' Matt Carpenter fouls a ball off his foot against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) (John Froschauer)SEATTLE — (AP) — New York Yankees designated hitter Matt Carpenter broke his left foot Monday night when he fouled off a pitch against the Seattle Mariners. Carpenter fouled a slider from starter Logan Gilbert off the foot in the first inning. He signed with the Yankees and became a big surprise, earning regular playing time in a powerful lineup. Carpenter began the night hitting .307 with 15 home runs and 37 RBIs in just 127 at-bats.

New York Yankees designated hitter Matt Carpenter broke his left foot when he fouled off a pitch against the Seattle Mariners and will be out indefinitely.

New York Yankees designated hitter Matt Carpenter broke his left foot Monday night when he fouled off a pitch against the Seattle Mariners and will be out indefinitely. Carpenter, wearing a protective boot in the Yankees' clubhouse after their 9-4 win, said he's hopeful he might only miss a month. Carpenter fouled a slider from starter Logan Gilbert off the foot in the first inning.

Jesse Winker hit a grand slam, Marco Gonzales struck out seven and the Seattle Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3 as Shohei Ohtani received a visit from trainers and continued to struggle.

Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 43rd home run, Jose Trevino had his first multihomer game and the New York Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners 7-2 in a series opener between teams bulking up for the postseason.

Julio Rodríguez connected again, hitting a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning and the Seattle Mariners finished off a three-game sweep by beating the Texas Rangers 4-2.

Cole Irvin allowed four hits over seven innings and the Oakland Athletics beat Houston Astros 4-2 for their first winning sweep in 32 series this season.

Astros Mariners Baseball Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander throws against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 23, 2022, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) (Ted S. Warren)SEATTLE — (AP) — Justin Verlander became the major leagues' first 13-game winner, striking out nine and topping 99 mph in his final inning to lead the Houston Astros over the Seattle Mariners 3-1 on Saturday. Seattle loaded the bases on walks by Eugenio Suárez and pinch-hitter Kyle Lewis around Frazier's single, and Verlander struck out No. Verlander has allowed one earned run or fewer in seven of his last eight starts. Kyle Tucker and Yuli Gurriel hit RBI doubles in the fourth to help the Astros to their fourth consecutive win and send Seattle to its second straight loss after a 14-game winning streak.

Justin Verlander became the major leagues’ first 13-game winner, striking out nine and topping 99 mph in his final inning to lead the Houston Astros over the Seattle Mariners 3-1.

The Houston Astros ended the Seattle Mariners’ winning streak at 14 games, with Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez homering in a 5-2 victory.

Jarren Duran and the Red Sox will try to shake off what happened at Fenway Park, where Toronto went on a run rampage that included an inside-the-park grand slam thanks to Duran’s misplay and negligence.

Royals Astros Baseball Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke) (Michael Wyke)A look at what's happening around baseball today:___THE FUTURE IS NOWAll-Star Game festivities start in earnest with the Futures Game, where some of the best prospects in Major League Baseball will play a seven-inning matchup at Dodger Stadium. Former All-Star catcher and longtime manager Mike Scioscia will guide the NL squad, back in the ballpark where his Los Angeles Dodgers won two World Series championships. Several big hitters will face each other, ahead of possibly squaring off in the All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday night in Los Angeles. Bundy (5-4, 4.68 ERA) is trying to regain his form after winning his first three starts of the season.

Robbie Ray struck out 12 without a walk over 6 2/3 innings, rookie All-Star center fielder Julio Rodríguez hit a grand slam and the Seattle Mariners have their longest winning streak in more than two decades, beating the Texas Rangers 8-3 for their 12th win in a row.

Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a throw bust through the webbing of his glove and the Seattle Mariners took advantage for their eighth straight win, beating the Blue Jays 6-5 on two home runs by Carlos Santana.

Angels Mariners Baseball Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout, right, is greeted in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run on a pitch from Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 19, 2022, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) (John Froschauer)SEATTLE — (AP) — Mike Trout homered for the fifth time in the five-game series and Los Angeles Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 4-0 Sunday. Kenny Rosenberg was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake City by the Angels to make his first career start and third major league appearance. ROSTER MOVESThe Angels optioned INF Jack Mayfield to Triple-A Salt Lake before the game to make room for Rosenberg. LHP Jose Suarez was returned to Salt Lake after Saturday’s doubleheader after serving as the 27th player for the day.

Mike Trout homered for the fifth time in the five-game series and Los Angeles Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 4-0.

Angels Mariners Baseball Seattle Mariners pitcher Andres Munoz throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the sixth inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader, Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) (Ted S. Warren)A look at what's happening around the majors on Sunday:___JUNETEENTHThe nation’s newest federal holiday is being celebrated in many ways this weekend at Major League Baseball parks. Fans who buy tickets for the St. Louis-Boston game at Fenway Park through a special offer were to receive a Red Sox jersey in Juneteenth colors featuring the Juneteenth flag. THANKS, DADNew York Yankees manager Aaron Boone will have family on his mind — and on his feet — on Father’s Day in Toronto. Designed by Brooklyn artist Andy Freidman, the shoes feature images of Boone’s grandfather, father and brother, all of whom also played big league baseball.

The nation’s newest federal holiday of Juneteenth is being celebrated in many ways this weekend at Major League Baseball parks.

Justin Verlander struck out a season-high 12 in seven sparkling innings, Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run homer and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 4-1.

Franchy Cordero hit a grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the surging Boston Red Sox to an 8-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

Chicago White Sox star Tim Anderson has accused Yankees slugger Josh Donaldson of making a racist remark during Saturday’s game and Major League Baseball is looking into the incident.

Mariners Marlins Baseball Seattle Mariners' Logan Gilbert pitches to Miami Marlins' Jesus Sanchez during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 1, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (Wilfredo Lee)MIAMI — (AP) — Logan Gilbert kept up his run of impressive starts, Julio Rodríguez hit his first major league homer and the Seattle Mariners ended Miami's seven-game winning streak, beating the Marlins 7-3 Sunday. Making his first start against an NL club, Gilbert (4-0) held the Marlins hitless until Jon Berti’s two-out single in the fifth. Crawford hit a two-out double and the Marlins intentionally walked Abraham Toro to face Rodríguez, who began the day with a .205 average. Berti scored from third on Jorge Soler’s infield single against Mariners reliever Andres Muñoz in the seventh.

Logan Gilbert kept up his run of impressive starts, Julio Rodríguez hit his first major league homer and the Seattle Mariners ended Miami’s seven-game winning streak, beating the Marlins 7-3.

AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray and the Seattle Mariners have finalized their $115 million, five-year contract.

Athletics Mariners Baseball Seattle Mariners' Ty France hits a sacrifice fly to score Dylan Moore during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) (Ted S. Warren)SEATTLE — (AP) — Jarred Kelenic stood outside the Seattle Mariners dugout with the crowd roaring and holding a placard with a phrase borrowed from a popular television show. The Mariners won for the 10th time in 11 games beating the Oakland Athletics 4-2 on Wednesday night, keeping the pressure on their fellow competitors for the two wild-card spots in the AL. Seattle's bullpen was again solid, with the exception of Diego Castillo (5-5) allowing a solo homer to Seth Brown in the seventh inning. Andrew Chafin (2-4) took the loss for Oakland working the seventh inning.

The Seattle Mariners won for the 10th time in 11 games and stayed in the thick of the AL wild-card race with a 4-2 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Jarred Kelenic stood outside the Seattle Mariners dugout with the crowd roaring and holding a placard with a phrase borrowed from a popular television show. “Believe” has become Seattle's rallying call, and the Mariners are charging into the final weekend of the regular season with plenty of belief and right in the thick of the AL wild-card race. The Mariners won for the 10th time in 11 games beating the Oakland Athletics 4-2 on Wednesday night, keeping the pressure on their fellow competitors for the two wild-card spots in the AL.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole makes what might be his final start of the regular season in a critical showdown against Toronto.

Indians Mariners Baseball Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Zach Plesac throws to a Seattle Mariners batter during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 13, 2021, in Seattle. After a replacement pair was found, Plesac came within six outs of ending the longest no-hitter drought in the majors. The anticipated debuts of Seattle prospects Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert were overshadowed by a masterful pitching performance from Plesac. While he wasn’t overpowering, the right-hander managed to induce weak contact for most of the first seven innings. Civale has thrown at least seven innings in four of his seven starts, including his last against Cincinnati when he allowed only one run.

Indians Mariners Baseball Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Zach Plesac throws to a Seattle Mariners batter during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 13, 2021, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) (Elaine Thompson)SEATTLE — (AP) — Zach Plesac came within six outs of ending Cleveland’s 40-year no-hitter drought, keeping the Seattle Mariners hitless into the eighth inning of the Indians’ 4-2 win on Thursday night. The anticipated debuts of Seattle prospects Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert were overshadowed by a masterful pitching performance by Plesac. While he wasn’t overpowering, Plesac managed to induce weak contact for most of the first seven innings. Civale has thrown at least seven innings in four of his seven starts, including his last against Cincinnati when he allowed only one run.

Zach Plesac came within six outs of ending Cleveland’s 40-year no-hitter drought, keeping the Seattle Mariners hitless into the eighth inning of the Indians’ 4-2 win.

Mariners Kelenic Gilbert Baseball FILE - Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert throws against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning during a spring training baseball game in Peoria, Ariz., in this Tuesday, March 10, 2020, file photo. The Seattle Mariners’ future arrives Thursday, May 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File) (Elaine Thompson)SEATTLE — (AP) — The anticipated major league debuts of outfielder Jarred Kelenic and pitcher Logan Gilbert are part of a big roster reshuffling for the Seattle Mariners. Trammell made his major league debut on opening day, but is batting .157 in 27 games. Manager Scott Servais said Trammell needs more playing time and expects he'll be back with the major league club at some point.

The major league debuts of outfielder Jarred Kelenic and pitcher Logan Gilbert are part of a major roster reshuffling for the Seattle Mariners.

Where do Jarred Kelenic, Wander Franco, Nate Pearson and other top players stand as minor league baseball teams begin their season?