Mariners get a bit closer in playoff race thanks to former WSU star

Sep 17, 2024, 9:54 AM | Updated: 9:58 am

Editor, Seattle Sports

The Seattle Mariners didn’t play on Monday, but they were still able to gain ground in the American League playoff race. They can thank a former WSU Cougars slugger for that.

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The M’s are a half-game closer to Minnesota for the AL’s third and final wild card to the postseason after Monday night when the Twins coughed up a one-run lead in the eighth inning against the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians.

The big swing came from rookie Kyle Manzardo, who caught up with a 97 mph fastball from standout Twins reliever Griffin Jax for a two-run, 407-foot homer that put Cleveland ahead 4-3 for good.

The 24-year-old Manzardo is from Couer d’Alene, Idaho, and had a stellar college career at WSU, including a junior season in 2021 where he slashed .366/.437/.640 for a 1.076 OPS with 11 homers and 60 RBIs in 47 games. He was a second-round MLB Draft pick by Tampa Bay that same year, then was the centerpiece of the Guardians’ return in a trade last year that sent veteran pitcher Aaron Civale to the Rays.

Monday’s homer was Manzardo’s third in the big leagues, with the first two both coming on Sept. 1.

“I’m so happy for him,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who was on the Mariners coaching staff last season, after Cleveland’s win Monday.

Vogt was overcome with emotion while talking about Manzardo’s moment after the game.

“Everyone who grows up wanting to play baseball has dreamed of that moment happening,” he said. “The smile on his face looking back at our dugout, that was incredible.”

As for Manzardo?

“I floated a little bit,” he said about rounding the bases after the homer. “I don’t remember all of it, honestly.”

Mariners playoff update

So let’s get into what this means for the Mariners.

MLB division standings | Wild card standings

Seattle has a 77-73 record going into a huge three-game series at home that starts at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday against the AL East-leading New York Yankees, and the M’s are now just two games back of the Twins (79-71) in the race. In between those two teams, however, is the Detroit Tigers (78-73), who are just 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the final wild card after rallying Monday to beat the Kansas City Royals.

The hill that the Mariners are trying to climb is a bit tougher than it looks on the surface. Both Minnesota and Detroit won their season series against Seattle, giving the Twins and Tigers the tiebreaker advantage should they finish the season with the same record. That means the Mariners are essentially 2 1/2 games behind the Twins and one back of Detroit.

The wild card isn’t the Mariners’ only possible path to the postseason. They’re still alive in the AL West race, too, where the Houston Astros (81-69) hold the division lead over Seattle by four games. That deficit for the M’s also shrunk on Monday with the Astros falling 3-1 to the San Diego Padres. Though only 12 games remain in the regular season for the Mariners, that includes a series in Houston (Sept. 23-25), where Seattle will have the chance to pick up a full three games in the standings with a sweep.

As of Tuesday morning, Fangraphs has the Mariners’ playoff odds at 10.9%, with a 5.6% probability of them earning a wild card and a 5.4% chance they overtake the Astros for the AL West.

What’s next

Mariners Radio Network broadcasts on Seattle Sports 710 AM, the Seattle Sports app and at SeattleSports.com

• Tuesday – Mariners vs. Yankees (pregame 5:30 p.m., first pitch 6:40)
• Wednesday – Mariners vs. Yankees (pregame 5:30 p.m., first pitch 6:40)
• Thursday – Mariners vs. Yankees (pregame noon, first pitch 1:10 p.m.)
• Friday – Mariners at Rangers (pregame 4 p.m., first pitch 5:05)
• Saturday – Mariners at Rangers (pregame 3 p.m., first pitch 4:05)