Mariners notebook: 162, the biggest game in years for Seattle

This is it. After 161 games played there is still the possibility of three tiebreaker games tomorrow, and the Mariners could be in one of them. Isn’t baseball great?

The scene in the Mariners’ clubhouse this morning looked like any other Sunday, but with an added electricity in the air. The beautiful thing was, unlike the other home finale games I have covered, there were no boxes next to the lockers. No packing, exchange of offseason phone numbers or goodbyes quite yet. The Mariners had a meaningful baseball game to get ready for.

Kyle Seager sat at Robinson Cano’s locker, the two locked in conversation in the corner as we sometimes see on Sundays. Three years ago I noticed the rookie Seager spent an enormous time in the video room and asked what he was watching. He was studying opposing pitchers, some of his at-bats, and a lot of Cano. He told me that while wasn’t saying he could be Cano someday, why wouldn’t he study the best? Now they sit together before the biggest game the Mariners have played in years.

There could be a bigger game tomorrow. Should the Rangers find a way to beat the A’s and the Mariners win Game No. 162, for one more day there will be no boxes in front of the lockers. Instead there will be suitcases, no doubt hurriedly packed for what comes next. Packed for not just the one-game wild-card matchup but the following division series. They would dearly love to pack that suitcase.

First thing is first, however.

Lineup!

Austin Jackson, 8
Dustin Ackley, 7
Robinson Cano, 4
Kendrys Morales, DH
Kyle Seager, 5
Logan Morrison, 3
Michael Saunders, 9
Mike Zunino, 2
Chris Taylor, 6

Felix Hernandez

Notes

• It was good to see Endy Chavez get into the game last night. According to manager Lloyd McClendon, he bunted in both situations on his own.

“I’m trying to do the little things,” Chavez said. “I think the small baseball is a huge part of the game. Yesterday I had myself in the game and that’s what I did, the small baseball, it put a lot pressure to the other team.”

• MLB has announced that if there is a Game No. 163 between the Mariners and A’s at Safeco Field, it will be played at 1:07 p.m.

• No pitcher has been announced for a possible Game No. 163 but it in all likelihood would be Taijuan Walker pitching on regular rest. If there is a wild-card game things get a little more complicated as the Mariners currently do not have a No. 5 starter. It would appear to be a bullpen day but I suspect that Chris Young is more available than we have been thinking. McClendon has said all along that he is available as a reliever but last night I noticed he was in the dugout and not the bullpen. They may be holding him back for a possible Tuesday game with, of course, the full bullpen ready to back him up.

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