Sunday, October 12, marked the first game of Major League Baseball’s American League Championship Series (ALCS). Opening in Toronto’s Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays took on the hungry Mariners. Winning this series for Seattle would make history, as they are the only team left in the MLB that has yet to make it to the World Series.
Hopes were high entering the 2025 postseason for Mariners fans. They finished their regular season 90-72, second in the American League, taking them straight to the ALDS. This would be anything but smooth sailing for them, as they had to take on the Detroit Tigers alongside star left-handed Pitcher Tarik Skubal. Game One of the series was a low-scoring pitchers’ duel between Troy Melton (DET) and George Kirby (SE).) Reaching extra innings, in the top of the 11th, Detroit’s Zach McKinstry lined a one-run single to center, scoring Spencer Torkelson, bringing the Tigers ahead 3-2. In the bottom half of the inning, closing pitcher Keider Montero shut the door against Seattle’s top hitters, collecting a game one win.
Tarik Skubal took the mound in game two, going 7.0 innings, allowing two runs, and collecting nine strikeouts. Unfortunately for them, Detroit’s bullpen couldn’t hold down the fort, allowing a one-run double off the bat of Julio Rodríguez in the bottom of the 8th, scoring Cal Raleigh, taking a late 3-2 lead of their own this time. A combo of Mariners pitchers Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo closed the door this time, bringing the series to a tie.
The Mariners absolutely ran away with Game Three of the series, 8-4, putting them comfortably ahead 2-1 in the best-of-5 ALDS. Game Four was the opposite story as the Tigers broke out scoring left and right throughout the game.
Game Five was by far the most interesting of them all; after all, both seasons were on the line and everything to lose. Tarik Skubal took the mound again, striking out 13 batters and allowing one run through 6.0IP. A one-run single from Leo Rivas (SEA) tied it up in the bottom of the 7th, 2-2. The rest of the game was an absolute dog fight between the two teams; neither team collected a single run for the next 8 innings, making it the longest game of the MLB season as of then. In the bottom of the 15th, Jorge Polanco scorched a 110.2 mph single through the right side with the bases loaded, scoring J.P. Crawford for a walk-off win.
Seattle entered the ALCS with World Series aspirations. Starting hot, the 2025 MLB season home run leader, Cal Raleigh, tied the game for the Mariners in the 6th, and they rallied their way to a 3-1 game one victory over Toronto. That rally continued into Game Two, as Seattle scored 10 runs through the first seven innings, besting the Bluejays yet again, taking a 2-0 series lead. Toronto did not take this lightly as they went on to take the next two games 13-4 and 8-2, where the Mariners’ bats were silent.
Cal Raleigh once again tied the game up with a home run in the 8th inning of game five. Shortly after, in the same inning, yet to record a single out, Eugenio Suárez cranks a ball into the right field stands for a grand slam, slamming the door, presenting Seattle with a 3-2 series lead.
Unfortunately for this prosperous team, their best pitching wasn’t enough to stop the Bluejays. Even with Logan Gilbert and George Kirby on the hill for games six and seven, Toronto knocked the ball all around the park, winning 6-2 and 4-3, ending the historic run for Seattle.
Postgame interviews were quite the listen for many. Pitcher Bryan Woo was asked about how this team’s legacy would be remembered due to having made it the furthest to the World Series of any Mariners team in history. Before he could answer, there was a scream in the background that can be best described as: “AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.” It was speculated to have come from an angry Julio Rodríguez. Woo went on to reference the scream as a representation of this team’s legacy.
Even though their season ended in heartbreak, the 2025 postseason will go down as one of the most memorable runs in Mariners history. They fought through every inning, every pitch, and every setback with heart, proving they belong among the best. While Seattle still waits for that long-overdue World Series appearance, this team showed the world what Mariners baseball is all about: grit, passion, and never backing down. As Bryan Woo explained, that scream in the background said it all. It wasn’t just frustration, but the sound of a team that gave everything they had and came up just short.
