The Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays were going to play a winner-take-all game on Sunday in the American League Wild Card Series. Seattle won Game 1 of the best-of-three series on Friday, but Toronto led 8-1 after five innings on Saturday. Fortunately for the Mariners and unfortunately for the Blue Jays, baseball games go nine innings.
Seattle chipped away in the top of the sixth, scoring four runs, with three coming on a home run from Carlos Santana. Toronto got one back in the bottom of the seventh inning but the Mariners again scored four runs in the eighth inning.
The last three came on a bloop hit with the bases loaded from J.P. Crawford. The Blue Jays couldn’t reach the ball and when George Springer and Bo Bichette collided, the ball was far enough away from second baseman Santiago Espinal that Mitch Haniger scored the tying run from first base.
Very scary collision in the outfield for the Blue Jays while the Mariners tie things up 9-9. pic.twitter.com/DZr3yX3UxF
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 8, 2022
The Blue Jays escaped the eighth with the game tied — but not for long. Cal Raleigh hit a one-out double in the ninth inning and after Haniger flew out, Adam Frazier smoked a two-out double into the right-field corner to score Raleigh.
Once down 8-1, the Mariners now lead the Blue Jays 10-9! ⚾ pic.twitter.com/FZSJ41efjK
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 9, 2022
In the bottom half of the inning, Matt Chapman drew a one-out walk for the stunned Blue Jays. That was all the rally Toronto could muster. Corey Brock — normally a starter — recovered to strike out Danny Jansen and get a flyout from Raimel Tapia, bringing the series to an abrupt end.
After trailing 8-1, the Seattle Mariners come back and beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-9 to advance to the ALDS!
It's the Mariners' first playoff series win since 2001. ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/mKvIFhbMab
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 9, 2022
Whether this was a monumental choke from the Blue Jays or an epic collapse from the Mariners is up to the individual beholder.
And there was no shortage of both takes.
What a comeback!!! @mariners showed us what heart and big desire to win they have. #SeaUsRise #PostSeason
— Edgar Martinez (@11EdgarMartinez) October 9, 2022
Did the Blue Jays endure the worst inning in franchise history tonight? https://t.co/7ImONT4Hq2
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) October 9, 2022
Sports, man. Why?
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 9, 2022
I’m just gonna choose to remember the first 7 innings of that game. Incredible memories with my kids.
No time to lick our wounds. Off to Buffalo for the homecoming tomorrow. Let’s hope the boys can end this on a bright note. 🙏
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 9, 2022
Pleased to have sat in an aisle seat right by the entrance to the section so I didn’t have to watch or hear the Mariners celebrate for even a second. It’s the little things.
— Andrew Stoeten (@AndrewStoeten) October 9, 2022
Unbelievable, but SO BELIEVABLE!!! How about them @Mariners. Let’s go!
— Casey Sadler (@CaseySadler65) October 9, 2022
Never. Ever. Ever. Give. Up! @Mariners
— Jesse Jones (@JesseKIRO7) October 9, 2022
E M B R A C E
T H E
C H A O S— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 8, 2022
Maple Leafs gotta be filing copyright infringement complaints on the Blue Jays for this collapse.
— Bolt Prospects (@BoltProspects) October 9, 2022
One thing that’s not debatable, though, is that this was stunning. Comebacks of this magnitude have seldom been seen in the history of the MLB postseason.
The Mariners become the 3rd team ever to come back from a 7-run deficit in a postseason game, joining;
– 2008 ALCS Game 5: Red Sox trail Rays 7-0 before coming back to win 8-7
– 1929 World Series Game 4: Philadelphia Athletics trail Cubs 8-0 before coming back to win 10-8 pic.twitter.com/DwTsjM46Bs
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 9, 2022
At one point, the @BlueJays had a 99% chance of winning this game.
After the @Mariners go-ahead run, they now have an 81.7% chance to win. pic.twitter.com/SgHxhZ28TT
— Sporting News MLB (@sn_mlb) October 9, 2022
The Blue Jays went 18-0 this year when scoring 9+ runs.
They'd won their last 54 games in a row when scoring 9+ runs.
But they just lost a 10-9 game that sent them home for the winter. … after leading by 7 in the sixth. Wow.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) October 9, 2022
THE MARINERS
7-RUN COMEBACK WIN
– Largest comeback in postseason road game
– Largest comeback to clinch a PS series
– Tied for 2nd-largest comeback win in any postseason game— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 9, 2022
For the Blue Jays, it was the stunning end to a season that provided their first postseason trip since 2016. The Mariners, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2001, will now take on their rivals from the American League East, the Houston Astros, in the American League Division Series.
