TORONTO — The Seattle Mariners are on the brink of making history.
They’re the only current MLB team never to appear in a World Series. That could change on Monday.
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While the team lost to the Toronto Blue Jays for Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, it tied the franchises 3-3 in the best-of-seven series – meaning the Mariners are still one win away from clinching the franchise’s first-ever World Series berth, a milestone 49 years in the making.
Seattle’s postseason has been defined by late-inning heroics and unwavering resilience. Of their six playoff wins, three have come in their final at-bat — including Game 5’s eighth-inning explosion.
Cal Raleigh, who blasted a game-tying home run before Suárez’s slam, has been a postseason force, slashing .333/.435/.692 with four home runs and a 1.127 OPS. He’s reached base in all 10 of Seattle’s playoff games.
Raleigh’s regular-season campaign was historic in its own right. The All-Star catcher led the Majors with 60 home runs, breaking MLB records for most home runs in a season by a primary catcher and a switch-hitter — and surpassing Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise single-season mark.
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Seattle’s road to this moment has been long and, at times, agonizing. The Mariners reached the ALCS in 1995, 2000, and 2001, but never got closer than two wins away from the Pennant. This year, they’re one win away.
“This team has heart, depth, and a belief that we can beat anybody,” said Suárez, whose two home runs in Game 5 earned him a place among Mariners postseason legends.
Should Seattle win on Monday, they will advance to face the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. Regardless of outcome, tonight’s game marks the 173rd of the Mariners’ season — the most in franchise history.
And yet, just one more win remains to make history complete.
