Mariners’ 10th straight win brings them closer to AL’s No. 2 seed

A day off didn’t cool down the red-hot Seattle Mariners, and their playoff chances are only better for it.

Led by a three-homer game by Dominic Canzone, the Mariners blasted the Kansas City Royals 12-5 Tuesday in the first game of their final, six-game road trip of the regular season to extend their season-best win streak to 10 games.

Seattle Mariners 12, Kansas City 5: Recap story | Box score | Standings

The win also brought the M’s closer to not just clinching a playoff spot, but potentially earning a bye past the American League Wild Card round and straight to the AL Division Series.

The AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers lost 7-5 in 10 innings to the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday to fall to 85-66. The Mariners improved to 83-68, putting them just two games back of Detroit for the No. 2 seed in the AL. The top two teams in both leagues receive byes to the divisional round.

The Mariners would need to finish the season in first place in the AL West to get that second seed, and they didn’t necessarily get help in that regard Tuesday. The second-place Houston Astros held on 6-5 to beat the Texas Rangers for the second straight day, keeping them just a half-game back of the M’s in the division at 83-69.

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There is good news coming out of that Astros-Rangers game for the M’s, though. With the Texas loss, it is 4 1/2 games back of Seattle at 79-73. That gets the Mariners a little closer to clinching a postseason berth regardless of if it is the division title or a wild card.

The Astros currently hold the AL’s third and final wild card, with the Guardians (78-71) the first team out at three games back. The Mariners are 3 1/2 up on Cleveland for a playoff spot.

Should Seattle Mariners fans root against Astros or Rangers now?

Coming off an 11-2 win Sunday over the Los Angeles Angels to complete a perfect seven-game homestand, the Mariners immediately scored two runs before making an out in their opener Tuesday in Kansas City.

Getting started early! #SeizeTheMoment pic.twitter.com/1Lp7occZ91

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 16, 2025

The Mariners poured it on with a solo home run by Canzone in the second inning, four runs in a third inning punctuated by Cal Raleigh’s MLB-leading 55th homer, two runs in the fourth punctuated by Raleigh’s 56th homer, and another run in the fifth on Canzone’s second solo shot of the game.

💣 Dom bomb 💣 pic.twitter.com/MbdTCDdv02

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 17, 2025

Canzone become the first Mariners player to hit three homers in a game since Kyle Seager in 2019 when he added his third solo blast of the night in the ninth.

DOMination Canzone. pic.twitter.com/EITCubebfa

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 17, 2025

Raleigh passed Mickey Mantle for the record of most home runs in a single season by a switch-hitter with his first of the night, and with his second tied another all-time great center fielder, Ken Griffey Jr., for the Mariners’ single-season homer record.

Cal Raleigh hits two homers to pass Mantle, tie Griffey’s record

The Mariners continue their three-game series at Kansas City’s Kaufmann Stadium with Game 2 at 4:40 p.m. Wednesday. Radio coverage on Seattle Sports will begin at 3:30 with the pregame show.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Top Mariners prospect Colt Emerson homers in Triple-A debut
• Passan: ‘The Mariners go on heaters when Jorge Polanco goes on heaters’
• ESPN’s Passan: What it could cost Mariners to keep Josh Naylor
• Drayer: M’s look to make most of ‘awesome opportunity’ down stretch
• The numbers behind Seattle Mariners’ red-hot September surge

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