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161 games in, and it all comes down to today.
The Mariners need a win and an Oakland loss at Texas to force a one-game playoff with the A’s to get into the AL Wild Card game in Kansas City. Seattle has not played such a meaningful game so late in the year in over a decade, and there is no one in baseball the M’s would rather have on the mound this afternoon than the King, Felix Hernandez.
With everything on the line, SoDo Mojo will be providing updates throughout the game, and you can interact with staff writer Michael Monsen in the comments.
Most Recent Updates at the Top of the Page
4:00 PM- Grant Green grounds one back to Farquhar, who flips to first to end the game and season. Final, LAA 1-4 SEA
Felix picks up win number 15, as his quest for the Cy Young continues. The M’s finish 87-75, one game short of Oakland.
3:59 PM- John McDonald doubles in Boesch. Two out. LAA 1-4 SEA
3:51 PM- Morrison, Saunders, and Zunino go quietly. Danny Farquhar to finish up the season. End 8, LAA 0-4 SEA
3:43 PM- Medina walks one but strikes out Gordon Beckham to get out of trouble. Mid 8, LAA 0-4 SEA
3:34 PM- Beimel lasts just two batters, giving up a single to Cron. Lloyd replaces him with Yoervis Medina.
3:28 PM- Wade LeBlanc comes in and sets down the M’s on just seven pitches. Joe Beimel to replace Maurer in the top of the eighth. End 7, LAA 0-4 SEA
3:22 PM- Maurer works a scoreless seventh. Mid 7, LAA 0-4 SEA
3:17 PM- Ackley looks at strike three, and the M’s fail to add on. End 6, LAA 0-4 SEA
3:14 PM- Jackson singles in his final at-bat of the year, as he is replaced by James Jones. Two on, two out.
3:07 PM- Brennan Boesch pops out to Taylor at short. Mid 6, LAA 0-4 SEA
3:05 PM- With the result now inconsequential, most of the Angels starters are out of the game. Cano has also been replaced by Brad Miller at second base.
2:57 PM- Felix gets a groundout to begin the sixth, and Lloyd McClendon pulls him out. The combination of the re-scoring of Wednesday’s start in Toronto and these 5.1 scoreless innings will give Felix the AL ERA title. Brandon Maurer in to pitch.
2:53 PM- Morrison pops up to short. End 5, LAA 0-4 SEA
2:47 PM- A towering shot from Smolinski falls short of the wall. Oakland wins 4-0, clinching the second AL Wild Card slot. They will go to Kansas City on Tuesday. The Mariners have been eliminated from postseason contention.
2:45 PM- Beltre base hit! Rangers still alive, but a lot of work left.
Three more groundouts get Felix out of the fifth. Mid 5, LAA 0-4 SEA
2:43 PM- Odor skies to center. A’s clinch with one more out.
2:41 PM- Elvis Andrus grounds out to third. Two outs left.
2:37 PM- Neal Cotts gets a huge double play from Vogt to hold the A’s to two in the inning. Last chance for the Rangers (and M’s) coming up. Mid 9, OAK 4-0 TEX
2:35 PM- Ackley strikes out, leaving two on base. End 4, LAA 0-4 SEA
2:31 PM- A seeing-eye single from Jed Lowrie all but ends the Mariners’ season. Beltre didn’t help things by committing two errors in one play to start the inning. Still one out in the top of the ninth. OAK 4-0 TEX
2:29 PM- Zunino muscles a changeup out to left, driving in a pair. LAA 0-4 SEA
2:24 PM- Michael Saunders comes up clutch again! A one-out double scores Morales and pushes Morrison to third. Another pitching change in the works for the Angels, as Yoslan Herrera will face Zunino. LAA 0-2 SEA
2:16 PM- Texas showing why they are 10th in the AL in runs scored, despite their offensively skewed ballpark: a HBP is easily stranded. End 8, OAK 2-0 TEX
In Seattle, Joe Thatcher has been called into action for L.A. with with a man on first and one away. Rasmus done after 3.1 IP, 1 ER.
2:11 PM- Three groundouts make short work of the Halos. Mid 4, LAA 0-1 SEA
2:09 PM- Double plays popping up everywhere in Arlington: Crisp ends the top of the eighth with a 5-4-3. Texas has six outs to get back into it. Mid 8, OAK 2-0 TEX
2:05 PM- Nice sliding play by Aybar sees out the Mariners in the third. End 3, LAA 0-1 SEA
2:03 PM- Gray needed just eight pitches to get through the seventh. He may not even give the bullpen a chance to blow it. End 7, OAK 2-0 TEX
1:57 PM- K! Seven in three innings as Felix strikes out the side. Mid 3, LAA 0-1 SEA
Holland ran through the top of the seventh with ease. Time to push across a couple of runs, Texas. Mid 7, OAK 2-0 TEX
1:55 PM- K! Conger stares at a fastball for strike three. Two out.
1:53 PM- K! The King notches his fifth in seven outs. One out.
1:51 PM- Gray is through 6.0 IP in just 70 pitches, as Odor helps him out with another DP. End 6, OAK 2-0 TEX
1:49 PM- Zunino and Taylor fly out to left. End 2, LAA 0-1 SEA
1:43 PM- Mariners strike first! Michael Saunders hits a double over Trout’s head in center, driving in Morrison from first. Still one out. LAA 0-1 SEA
In Arlington, Martinez was replaced with two out in the sixth, despite retiring thirteen in a row. Derek Holland got the last out of the inning. Mid 6, OAK 2-0 TEX
1:35 PM- K! Felix ends the top of the second in style. Mid 2, LAA 0-0 SEA
However, the M’s cannot seem to get any help from Texas: Gray has danced out of danger again, as a strikeout and a 5-4-3 double play keep the lead at two. End 5, OAK 2-0 TEX
1:31 PM- K! Felix has sent down three of four on strikes, as Aybar is retired. One out.
Rangers threatening with first and third with no out, courtesy of Tomas Telis and Ryan Rua.
1:28 PM- Ackley singles and Cano moves him to second on a groundout, but Morales K’s to end the inning. End 1, LAA 0-0 SEA
1:24 PM- Another quick inning for Martinez. Now the Rangers need some runs. Mid 5, OAK 2-0 TEX
1:17 PM- Pujols singles, but Kendrick flies out to center. Mid 1, LAA 0-0 SEA
In Texas, Jake Smolinski strikes out to end the fourth. Gray strands a runner at second. End 4, OAK 2-0 TEX
1:15 PM- K! Trout battles but Adrian Johnson rings him up. Two away.
1:12 PM- K! Calhoun down swinging as Felix starts things out right. One out.
1:11 PM- First pitch to Calhoun is outside. They are underway in Seattle.
1:08 PM- Vogt misses a homer down the right field line by a couple feet. Rangers are fortunate to escape the fourth unscathed. Mid 4, OAK 2-0 TEX
First pitch from Safeco is mere moments away.
12:58 PM- Gray is on the top of his game, retiring nine of the first ten to face him. End 3, OAK 2-0 TEX
At the same time, Cincinnati uses three runs in the bottom of the eighth to play spoiler against the Pirates, winning 4-1. St. Louis wins the NL Central before even taking the field today in Arizona.
12:51 PM- Josh Donaldson strikes out as Oakland goes quietly. Mid 3, OAK 2-0 TEX
12:50 PM- Much-maligned Joe Nathan shuts the door on Minnesota and Kansas City. Final, MIN 0-3 DET. Detroit wins the AL Central. Kansas City will host the AL Wild Card Game.
12:44 PM- Gray sets the Rangers down in order. End 2, OAK 2-0 TEX
12:40 PM- Detroit has added a couple insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, while the White Sox took the lead with two in the bottom of the fourth. End 8, MIN 0-3 DET; End 4, KC 2-4 CHW
12:37 PM- Martinez limits the damage, stranding two on a Coco Crisp flyout. Mid 2, OAK 2-0 TEX
12:31 PM- Reddick waltzes home on a Stephen Vogt looper to center that drops. One out. OAK 2-0 TEX
12:28 PM- In a flash, the A’s take the lead. Brandon Moss doubles and is brought home by a Josh Reddick triple. Still no out in the top of the second. OAK 1-0 TEX
12:24 PM- Rougned Odor threatens with a two-out double, but Sonny Gray strikes out Adrian Beltre to end the inning. End 1, OAK 0-0 TEX
12:18 PM- A Marcus Semien homer ties things up at U.S. Cellular Field. KC 2-2 CHW
Meanwhile, Detroit is four outs away from clinching the division.
12:14 PM- A’s go down one, two, three against Nick Martinez in the top of the first. Mid 1, OAK 0-0 TEX
12:07 PM- Lineups out for Seattle and L.A.
The Mariners go with Austin Jackson (8), Dustin Ackley (7), Robinson Cano (4), Kendrys Morales (DH), Kyle Seager (5), Logan Morrison (3), Michael Saunders (9), Mike Zunino (2), and Chris Taylor (6). King Felix (14-6, 2.18 ERA) will be on the mound, of course.
The Angels’ lineup is the following: Kole Calhoun (9), Mike Trout (8), Albert Pujols (DH), Howie Kendrick (4), Erick Aybar (6), David Freese (5), Efren Navarro (7), C.J. Cron (3), and Hank Conger (2). Cory Rasmus (3-1, 2.38 ERA) is on the hill.
12:01 PM- The Tigers lead 1-0 in the top of the seventh. If Detroit holds on, regardless of whether the Royals can close out the White Sox (KC leads 2-0 in the third), they win the Central and Kansas City will play the A’s or M’s in the AL Wild Card Game on Tuesday.
12:00 PM- A’s and Rangers about to get underway in Arlington, an hour ahead of the M’s and Angels. We’ll give you limited updates on that game as well this afternoon.