The Seattle Mariners’ playoff possibilities are slim at best.
But that’s still better than none.
The defending American League West champions staved off elimination Wednesday night by rallying from a four-run deficit to defeat the Houston Astros 6-5 on Josh Naylor’s one-out single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning.
The Mariners (74-84), who have won four of their past six games, conclude the regular season with a four-game series against the last-place Los Angeles Angels (60-98) starting Thursday at T-Mobile Park.
Seattle’s only hope of making the playoffs is to finish in a three-way tie with Houston (78-80) and Texas (78-80) atop the division. The Mariners would own the tiebreaker based on a 15-11 record against the other two teams, while the Astros and Rangers would both be 12-14.
“We’ve just got to keep going,” Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh said. “We’re not in the best spot, but anything can happen. You just keep fighting to the end. That’s really all you can do.”
The Mariners did that Wednesday, overcoming a 4-0 deficit. Dominic Canzone hit a two-run single in a three-run third inning to spark the comeback and added a run-scoring single in the fifth to tie it.
But Canzone’s biggest at-bat might have come against Astros closer Josh Hader in the 10th with runners at first and second. Canzone dribbled a 0-2 pitch to shortstop Nick Allen, whose only play was to first. That allowed both runners to advance. Base on balls to Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez brought home the tying run and Naylor lined the next pitch up the middle to walk it off.
“It doesn’t happen without the other bats before me,” Naylor said.
The Angels, who have lost three in a row, are attempting to avoid the first 100-loss season in franchise history. To do so, they’ll need to win the series in Seattle.
“We’ve got four more games left, so try to finish strong going into the offseason,” said Angels star Mike Trout, who homered in a 7-3 loss Wednesday to the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
The series opener is scheduled to feature a pair of right-handers in the Angels’ Grayson Rodriguez (4-8, 5.96 ERA) and the Mariners’ Bryan Woo (12-9, 3.92).
Rodriguez has dropped his past three decisions, including a 3-0 defeat Friday against visiting Minnesota despite a quality start in which he allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings. He is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two career starts against the Mariners, giving up just three hits in 12 1/3 innings against them with 15 strikeouts.
Woo won three consecutive starts before taking a no-decision Friday at Colorado, a game the Mariners won 5-4 with a run in the top of the ninth. He gave up three runs on 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings. Woo is 3-0 with a 2.83 ERA in 10 career starts against the Angels with two of those coming earlier this season. He pitched seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball on April 3 in Anaheim, Calif., without a decision, then beat L.A. 8-3 June 30 in Seattle when he gave up two runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings.
-Field Level Media
