*Photo from Oregon Live*
It seemed only fitting that the infamous drought would end in a magical way. Ty France drove in a run, Cal Raleigh hit the game winning homer, and the Seattle Mariners defeated the Oakland Athletics with a 2-1 victory on Friday night in Seattle.
Needing a win to secure a playoff spot, the Mariners did it in magical fashion, walking off at home in front of a sellout crowd. By clinching a playoff spot, the Mariners have made the playoffs for the first time since the 2001 season. That was the longest active drought in North American Sports, but that now goes to the NBA's Sacramento Kings.
The Mariners sure turned their magical moment into a spectacle for everyone in the ballpark. The walk off celebration lasted for around 10 minutes on the field, before the team retreated to the clubhouse to pop bottles and have a big celebration. After an hour, the stands were still packed, and the Mariners came back onto the field and addressed the crowd in attendance, talking about this special season.
Mariners manager Scott Servais said that "I think with the fact that we're in our ballpark, there's 40,000 people here tonight, it's better than maybe what you can even dream it could be. And it's a testament to our players. I do believe this team can go very deep in the playoffs and win a World Series. We’ve got that kind of pitching and defense. And we’ve got the ‘it’ factor, and that goes a long way this time of year."
France got the Mariners on the board right away. In the first inning, he smacked a double to left field, with Dylan Moore crossing home plate to make it 1-0 Mariners. Not long after that, Shea Langeliers tied it 1-1 for the A's with a second inning solo home run to left field.
It remained a 1-1 game for most of the night, turning into a pitchers duel. Then came the 9th inning. Servais called upon Raleigh to pinch hit for catcher Luis Torrens. Raleigh made no mistake, hitting a long and towering home run deep into the stands to send Seattle to a win and the crowd into bedlam.
Mariners starter Marco Gonzales said that "It’s the character in the clubhouse, I’ve said it all year. I said it in Spring Training. I said it in April, May and June. There were some people that were talking some outside noise. We closed that off. We just believed in ourselves. We knew we had a talented team. We just needed to hit our stride, find our identity and we found it. We're here."
For those who weren't at the game, you could feel the electricity in the ballpark from your TV at home. The call made by Mariners TV play by play man Dave Sims was truly captivating and electrifying. Listen to it here.
Getting the start for the Mariners was Logan Gilbert, who turned in a stellar start. Gilbert allowed one run on 3 hits and two walks, striking out 4 hitters in 8 innings pitched. Matt Brash picked up the win for the Mariners by pitching a scoreless 9th inning.
Starting for the A's was rookie Ken Waldichuk, who allowed one run on 3 hits and two walks over 5 innings pitched. Austin Pruitt, AJ Puk, and Tyler Cyr each worked a scoreless inning. Domingo Acevedo got the loss by allowing the walk off homer in the 9th.
Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said after the game that "Our team played great baseball against a playoff-contending team. This is a team we’ve battled all year. Unfortunate way for us to finish the game. But it was a great baseball game. For us to stay in it and have an opportunity to win says a lot about our group."
Up next, the Mariners and A's continue their series on Saturday afternoon. The Mariners go for their 4th win in a row with Luis Castillo on the mound, while Adam Oller starts for the Athletics.
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