It was always going to come down to this.
A team with a .630 winning percentage at home—built for this ballpark and for this city—forcing a decisive Game 5 on their home turf. A turf that promises to be loud—pregame the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network installed a seismometer (named “Richter Rizzs!”) to measure the seismic energy during Game 5. A fanbase hungry for a trip to the ALCS for the first time in decades. A team, frustrated with where they’ve fallen short in previous years, equally hungry for a deep
postseason run. An organization that saw an entire stadium built and fall before the team made a World Series.
The Cy Young winner coming into town to write his legacy facing off against a team that’s been starved of postseason games for decades, looking to write their own names in the history books.
“You see it here, you see the hunger,” said Randy Arozarena. “Everyone wants to win. And I think that’s very important for us. That’s what’s been helping us.”
Tonight could be the beginning of a new chapter. No matter what, it’s the closing of the ALDS chapter. This season has been a long journey of ups and downs for a Seattle Mariners team that now faces a winner-take-all game.
The lows were gut punches, all. The injuries to the once-indomitable Mariners pitching staff. The loss of Victor Robles for the better part of the season. The failure of the Donovan Solano experiment. The failure of the Leody Taveras experiment. The slow and sad ending to longest-tenured Mariner Dylan Moore’s playing career in Seattle. The nightmarish road trips.
But the highs were so high. Watching Cal chase history. Watching him step back into a piece of his personal history as the Home Run Derby champ. A resurgent Jorge Polanco. A return to form for Julio Rodríguez after an injury-impacted 2024. The rise of Eduard Bazardo and the return of Gabe Speier. Andrés and Matilda Muñoz. The immediate impact of Josh Naylor, a player seemingly built in a lab for Seattle and this fanbase. Snatching the AL West away from the Astros on a catch by Victor Robles, risen like a phoenix from his injury. Watching Cal make history, again. Playoff baseball in Seattle. Winning a playoff baseball game at home for the first time since October 15, 2001.
“T-Mobile is legendary for the feeling that it invokes in players and coaches and whoever’s out there,” said Dan Wilson. “This is an electric place, and this is an electric fan base. It’s an incredible fan base, and they’re going to be out in full force tonight. We know that. And I think our guys really do feed off that energy and know that that’s going to be a big factor tonight in the game.
And so I think, yes, we were obviously disappointed in the Game 4 result, but we’re really excited to be out here tonight and ready to play.“
The Mariners have been in control of their destiny down the stretch. They’ve maximized that opportunity by earning home-field advantage for just this moment.
It was always going to come down to this.
