Five-run seventh boosts Mariners to another thrilling comeback

SEATTLE -- It doesn’t matter if it’s July or October, if they’re playing Stateside or North of the border. When the Mariners and Blue Jays tussle, it’s typically a thriller.

Such was the scene on a sun-soaked Seattle Saturday afternoon, where the ticketed 44,921 fans at T-Mobile Park were treated to a show featuring offensive fireworks and back-and-forth roars that might rival the Taylor Swift Eras Tour concert that was set to take place across the street postgame.

The Mariners held onto a 9-8 victory that secured a series win, and they can now go for a sweep against a team they’re chasing in the American League Wild Card race. But it was far from methodical, and they needed every last pitch to pull it off, as Justin Topa worked around an RBI single in the ninth to strand the tying run at third base and send the home fans into a frenzy.

“Man, can you imagine if you had tickets to Taylor Swift and you just watched that game?” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “What a day, right? It doesn't get any better.”

Seattle jumped to an early lead with three homers in the third inning, then it surrendered seven runs that put the day in peril.

But the Mariners rallied for a five-run seventh inning before holding off a late Blue Jays surge. In the ninth, Toronto’s Matt Chapman ripped a leadoff single off Topa, then scored on an RBI base hit from Cavan Biggio. Topa escaped the jam with consecutive outs to strand two.

The Mariners’ 22nd comeback win of the season was also their third straight overall, and it helped them climb back to 3 1/2 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot, currently -- and perhaps coincidentally -- held by Toronto. Moreover, Seattle is two games above .500 (50-48) for the first time since May 31.

“I think we're in a good spot,” J.P. Crawford said. “Any time you win a series like this, it's a good sign. And hopefully we'll just keep it going and keep taking one day at a time.”

As was the case in last year’s AL Wild Card Series between these clubs at Rogers Centre, Seattle’s usual suspects were the primary vessels behind Saturday's win.

Crawford ripped a late-inning, game-tying knock, just as he did in the historic comeback in Game 2 last October. Cal Raleigh continued to be Toronto’s tormenter with two solo homers, bringing his total to six in his past six games against the Blue Jays, including their late-April series in Canada and the 2022 playoffs.

And the man who switched sides via an offseason trade between these clubs, Teoscar Hernández, put the finishing touches on the win with a 105.8 mph, go-ahead two-run double that capped the rally. Hernández has now been behind each of Seattle’s game-winning RBIs the past three days, including his walk-off in the series opener.

“For me, when I was on the other side, I was never thinking about this being a rivalry or something,” Hernández said. “Even now, for me -- I don’t know if other players have something in their heads -- but for me, it’s just another team that we’re facing.”

Beyond the thrilling factor that was typical of the opponent, Saturday’s win also had many of the ingredients with which the Mariners thrived over the past two years, but that they have consistently lacked in 2023 -- most notably an ability to shake off mid-game adversity and keep the pressure on.

Seattle will need that resiliency not just in the 11 days leading up to the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline, but for the final 57 games after that, because if the commentary this week from president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto indicated, it appears that the club won’t trade for a major offensive addition.

The clubhouse mostly recognizes that reality.

“I don't think it's going to add any motivation,” Crawford said. “If you need any motivation to do your job playing in the big leagues every day, you have the wrong job. But if we get anyone, cool. If we don't, cool. We have a good, solid team in here. If we get anyone, like, it's great. But if we don't, I mean, I wouldn't be shocked either. So I think we're in a good spot, and whatever happens, it will happen, and we'll see after that.”

They’ve talked all year about taking things one day at a time, and though the season’s final stretch looms, doing direct damage to a team they’re chasing is a strong step forward.