Mariners keep playoff hopes alive with win over Angels
SEATTLE – The Mariners passed out white towels on Fan Appreciation Night. It was a sea of ivory waving throughout the yard when Dustin Ackley, Kendrys Morales and Michael Saunders hit home runs.
No, these white flags were not signaling a Seattle surrender. Not yet.
“Game 161 (today) and we’re still in it,” Ackley said after a 4-2 victory. “It’s awesome.”
Hisashi Iwakuma picked the absolutely mandatory, season-saving time to rebound. Pitching with a tight back, tight groin and even tighter margin of error for Seattle’s dwindling playoff hopes, the right-hander allowed Los Angeles only two solo home runs and two singles in 6 1/3 innings. Iwakuma left the game for precautionary reasons before Fernando Rodney made it dramatic as usual, allowing an RBI double with one out in the ninth, getting a fly out, then striking out Brennan Boesch.
That plus the home runs off Angels ace Jered Weaver kept the Mariners barely alive in the American League playoff chase.
“Like I told my players, we are getting ready to play our 161st game – and it’s a very meaningful game,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. “I think that’s pretty damn good.
“We’ve had a heck of a year.”
But …
The only hope left for the Mariners to make their first postseason in 13 years is to win tonight and Sunday against the division-champion Angels, and for the Athletics to lose both days at last-place Texas. That improbable scenario would force a one-game playoff Monday at Safeco Field for the A.L.’s second wild card.
The first wild card went Friday night to Kansas City.
“Our backs are still against the wall,” McClendon said. “But we’ve been a very resilient club all year.”
During the third inning, the Mariners learned that Oakland won at Texas 6-2. That meant Seattle had to win to retain any mathematical possibility of their first postseason in 13 years.
They did – thanks to Rodney’s 48th save to extend his franchise record, to the timely power outburst, and to the best rebound by Iwakuma (15-9) this season if not his three-year career with Seattle.
After allowing 15 earned runs in his previous three starts, the right-hander throttled every Angel not named Kole Calhoun or Mike Trout – who both homered – to set a career high in wins.
Now it’s up to James Paxton (6-4, 3.03 ERA) today and Felix Hernandez (14-6, 2.34) in Sunday’s regular-season finale to keep the M’s playoff hopes alive.