The Seattle Mariners have clinched a spot in the postseason for the first time in 21 years. And catcher Cal Raleigh made MLB history in the process.
The Mariners catcher punched their ticket to October baseball with a walk-off solo home run on Friday night. With that blast, he became the first player in MLB history to hit a pinch-hit, walk-off home run to clinch a postseason spot.
The Mariners celebrated on the field for more than 10 minutes following the game. Mariners manager Scott Servais took a microphone and addressed the crowd in attendance.
“Everyday when the game starts, I look up at those banners,” Servais said, alluding to the team's division championship banners. “We need another one. Yes, we ended the drought, but this team is just starting. We've got big games ahead of us, and we're going to need you with us,” the Mariners manager told the crowd.
Raleigh's home run was his 26th blast on the season. This is the most by a Mariners catcher in a single season. His homer came on a full count with two down in the bottom of the ninth.
Seattle is still contending for seeding with the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. The Blue Jays hold the top wild-card spot, but Seattle is just one and a half games behind them.
The Mariners have never made it to the World Series in their history. The closest they have come was back in 2001 when they advanced to the American League Championship Series.
The team's playoff hopes will get a boost soon, as they expect star outfielder Julio Rodriguez to return to the lineup on Monday.
Follow Us
Subscribe