In a wild, 15-inning winner-take-all Game 5, Jorge Polanco delivered a walk-off single that etched his name into Mariners history. With bases loaded, Polanco drove home J.P. Crawford, giving the Mariners their first AL Championship Series appearance since 2001.
Before the locker room celebration began, Dan Wilson took a moment with his team that they won't soon forget.
“We talked about before the game that we were not going to leave the field until we won the ball game, and you guys did it,” Wilson said, according to @MLBonFox on X. “What you guys have in here is special. What you guys keep doing is special. It's powerful. You've changed this team, you've changed this organization, and you've changed that city. Let's keep going!”
It's beyond special for a Mariners fanbase that's seen promise fade more often than it's been rewarded. This run marks Seattle's first trip to the ALCS since 2001, and only its second postseason appearance in 24 years.
The Mariners advanced to the ALDS in 2022 before falling to the Houston Astros in a 3-0 sweep. Now, the same team Seattle defeated in the 2022 Wild Card round stands between the Mariners and their first-ever American League pennant.
The Toronto Blue Jays knocked off the New York Yankees to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2016. Toronto has been in the playoffs three times since its last ALCS, but each year (2020, 2022 and 2023) resulted in a Wild Card loss.
The Blue Jays are seeking their first World Series victory since going back-to-back in 1992 and 1993. As for the Mariners, they've never been to the World Series. This will mark the franchise's fourth appearance in the AL Championship Series: 1995, 2000 and 2001.
Both teams are now just four wins away from the American League pennant, and eight wins from the coveted World Series. Game 1 in Toronto at Rogers Centre is Sunday night, with first pitch at 8:03 p.m. ET.
