It was the biggest road comeback win in playoff history and baseball’s largest comeback victory to clinch a postseason series. Next up for resilient Seattle are the Houston Astros in the AL Division Series.
Making the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2001, Seattle trailed 8-1 through five innings, but the Mariners tied the score at 9 with four runs in the eighth.
With two outs and the bases loaded, J.P. Crawford hit a blooper to center field against All-Star closer Jordan Romano. Center fielder George Springer and shortstop Bo Bichette went hard after the ball, but it landed as the two collided. All three runners scored on the double, tying it at 9.
It looked as if Bichette’s right arm whacked Springer across the forehead. Bichette got up pretty quickly and stayed in the game after he was checked on by a trainer. A woozy Springer was helped to his feet before he was carted off the field.
The 33-year-old Springer, a four-time All-Star, encouraged the cheering crowd as he was driven off.
Cal Raleigh, who hit an RBI single for Seattle in the eighth inning, reached on a one-out double against Romano in the ninth. After Mitch Haniger flied out, Frazier drove in Raleigh with a double to right field.
(Nathan Denette / Canadian Press via Associated Press)
Bichette walked, stole second and advanced to third base on a grounder in the eighth, but Andres Munoz retired Alejandro Kirk to end the threat.
George Kirby, Seattle’s eighth pitcher of the game, handled the ninth for his first career save. Matt Chapman walked with one out, but Danny Jansen struck out and Raimel Tapia lined out to end the game.
The Mariners then raced out of their dugout and celebrated behind the mound. They beat Toronto 4-0 in Game 1 of the best-of-three series Friday.
Toronto got off to a fast start in Game 2. Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run homer in the second inning and a solo drive in the fourth against Robbie Ray, who won the AL Cy Young Award with the Blue Jays last year.
After Ty France scored on Tim Mayza’s wild pitch in the sixth, Carlos Santana gave Seattle’s comeback a big boost with a three-run homer.
Cleveland Guardians 1, Tampa Bay Rays 0 (15 innings)
Guardians rookie Oscar Gonzalez rejoices with teammates after he hit a walk-off home run in the 15th inning to give Cleveland a sweep of the AL wild-card series.
(David Dermer / Associated Press)
Rookie Oscar Gonzalez broke up the longest scoreless postseason game in major league history with a leadoff home run in the 15th inning, giving host Cleveland a victory over Tampa Bay and an AL wild-card series sweep.
Gonzalez, who walks to the plate to the “SpongeBob SquarePants” theme song, drove a 1-0 cutter from Corey Kluber, the 432nd pitch in the nearly five-hour game, over the 19-foot wall in left-center field to touch off a wild celebration at Progressive Field.
As Gonzalez rounded the bases, and his teammates gathered near home plate, the sellout crowd of 34,971 shook the ballpark as Cleveland’s surprise season turned even more surprising.
“There’s no way to describe it,” said Gonzalez, who punctuated his shot with an emphatic bat flip before strutting toward first base. “It was such an exciting moment that it’s hard for me to put into words.”
AL Central champion Cleveland, the youngest team in the major leagues, opens the best-of-five Division Series on Tuesday at the AL East champion New York Yankees.
On their visit to Yankee Stadium in April, the Guardians were swept and trash was thrown at them. They are returning a different team.
Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti isn’t buying any David vs. Goliath storyline.
“We haven’t gotten caught up with that and what the external narrative has been around our team,” he said. “These guys have written their own story. … The Yankees are obviously a great team and we know we have our work cut out for us, but these guys embrace the challenge.”
Cleveland defied odds all year in its first season after abandoning the Indians nickname in favor of the Guardians. The team unexpectedly won the AL Central going away, then swept the more experienced Rays.
Tampa Bay was bounced quickly from its fourth consecutive postseason appearance. The Rays finished the season with seven straight losses and managed just one run and nine hits in the series.
The game was the longest in Cleveland postseason history. Gonzalez was one of 17 players to make their debut for the Guardians this season, so perhaps it was fitting his hit was the game-winner.
“I don’t think by that point we cared,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. “It could have been one of the old guys. We didn’t care. We’re not biased. I was happy that he hit it.”