UPDATE: The Seattle Mariners’ hopes for their first World Series appearance have just been shattered after a devastating 4-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series held on July 15, 2025. Just eight outs away from reaching baseball’s pinnacle, the Mariners witnessed their dreams slip away in a heartbreaking fashion.
Mariners star Cal Raleigh expressed the team’s disappointment, stating, “I hate to use the word failure, but it’s a failure. What we expected was to get to the World Series and win a World Series.” This sentiment encapsulates the frustration felt by the team and its fans after a season filled with promise.
Seattle entered the postseason with high hopes, having secured their first AL West title since 2001. However, those aspirations crumbled in Toronto. Center fielder Julio Rodríguez lamented, “Obviously, it hurts. That’s also part of the game, too.”
In a dramatic showdown, the Mariners initially took the lead in Game 7 when Rodríguez doubled and scored on Josh Naylor‘s single. A third-inning home run by Rodríguez and Raleigh’s fifth postseason homer gave Seattle a 3-1 advantage heading into the seventh inning.
However, the tide turned when reliever Eduard Bazardo surrendered a crucial three-run homer to George Springer, marking his 23rd career postseason homer. Mariners manager Dan Wilson defended his decision to use Bazardo over closer Andres Muñoz, saying, “You make your decisions, and sometimes you have to live and die with it.” Unfortunately for Seattle, this decision led to a swift end to their season.
The Mariners failed to secure a hit in the final four innings, sealing their fate with three consecutive strikeouts in the ninth. Wilson reflected on the loss, stating, “I know this stings, and there’s no question that it’s going to sting. It’s a special team in there. It’s a shame that we had to come out on the wrong side of this one.”
This season marked a significant milestone for the Mariners, who reached the ALCS for the first time in their history. Wilson noted, “All of us now have had a taste of how close we can get and how good this team can be.” The Mariners are now left to contemplate their next steps as they aim to build on this year’s success.
As fans process this heart-wrenching defeat, the question remains: what’s next for the Mariners? With the World Series now set to feature the Blue Jays for the first time since 1993, Seattle will be looking to regroup and come back stronger next season.
