Mariners keep playoff hopes alive with dramatic 5-4 comeback win

The Mariners seemed dead and buried at 4-0 down to the Rangers halfway through the seventh inning, but Julio Rodriguez had other ideas.

Every time you think the Seattle Mariners are going to go on a run to make the playoffs, they disappoint. Every time you think they are out of the race, they find a way to give their fans hope. Every. Single. Time.

Fortunately for the 32,996 in attendance at T-Mobile Park on Friday night, it was the latter rather than the former on this particular ocassion. Not that it looked that way after seven innings.

The Mariners were trailing 4-0, and nothing seemed to be going right. Then came the bottom of the seventh, and the home side started to climb back into the contest.

Cal Raleigh hit a sacrifice fly and Randy Arozarena followed with a RBI single in successive at-bats, and suddenly it was 4-2. Even at this point however, the fans still dared not hope their underachieving but talented club would complete the comeback.

J-Rod comes through when it matters

As it turned out though, a certain Julio Rodríguez had other ideas. With two men on and two outs in the bottom of the eighth, he came to the plate for arguably his most crucial at-bat of the season (so far).

After an excellent first two seasons in the Majors, Rodríguez has faced extended doubts and criticism for the first time during a tough 2024 campaign. However, with the Mariners’ playoff hopes fading, he picked the ideal moment to remind everyone what he’s truly capable of.

The two-time All-Star was true and hard with his subsequent hit, as it flew out over the left field wall with ease. The fans roared in approval, and the Mariners had come all the way back from 4-0 down to take their first lead of the night at 5-4.

Andrés Muñoz then came in to secure the dramatic comeback win, with a relatively straight forward 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth. However, the game was all about Rodríguez, who equalled his career high of four hits.

There has been some suggestion from certain media types, that Rodríguez is not clutch in big moments. This is open to debate and in truth is still to be determined in the grand scheme of things, but for one game at least, he was.

A dream scenario

The 23-year-old discussed his moment in the spotlight with the media after the game. He said:

“I feel like that’s every player’s dream. I feel like if you go across leagues and sports, as a player you want to be in the batter’s box in those moments.”

Mariners manager Dan Wilson marvelled at the hit by the young budding superstar. He said:

“That home run was crushed. That was tremendous, that was a big blow right there. … There aren’t many balls hit into that upper deck there. That was really launched.”

The Mariners are still on the outside looking in for a playoff spot, but Rodríguez is adamant he and his teammates won’t give up the chase. He said:

“If you don’t believe, why are you even here? That’s kind of our mentality. I feel like we’ve got to believe in ourselves, and we believe in ourselves.”

The Dominican Republic native is the first to admit things haven’t gone great for him this season, but he has maintained a positive and reflective outlook. He said:

“The way I look at it, you either focus on the pain or you focus on the lesson. You have two choices there. For me, this year, I’ve had a lot of lessons. That’s what I’ve been trying to focus on the most. You learn the most from failures.”

Of note, Rodríguez’s home run was the 75th of his career. For all his challenges this year, he is just the second player in Major League history to reach 75 homers and 75 stolen bases in his first three seasons.

• Seahawks Draft Emmanuel Henderson: Special Teams Prospects
• Seahawks Trade for Beau Stephens: An Offensive Line Boost
• Seahawks Trade Down: What Julian Neal Brings to the Defense
• Analyzing Bud Clark’s Skills: Seahawks’ 2026 Draft Pick
• Seattle Storm Preseason Preview: New Faces and Strategies

Hancock does just enough for the Mariners

Entering the night, there were plenty of questions about how Emerson Hancock would pitch in place of the injured Luis Castillo. When it was all said and done, the righty’s performance can best be described as serviceable.

In fairness, Hancock did well to recover from giving up two runs in the top of the first. In the end he went 5.0 innings and allowed six hits, a walk and three earned runs, while striking out five on 90 pitches.

Postgame, the 25-year-old was asked about what he did to recover from his slow start in the opening inning. He said:

“I think it just starts with slowing down right? Things speed up on you a little bit. I felt like I had to get back in the zone, attack a little bit more, try and get some quick outs, get as far as I could go and just execute the best that you can.”

After Hancock left the game, the much maligned bullpen did its part to keep the Mariners in touch. And save for Austin Voth giving up a RBI single in the top of the seventh, the relievers combined to set the stage for Rodríguez’s late heroics.

A long shot but still hope

Let’s be clear – the Mariners still have a mountain to climb, in their efforts to somehow secure a playoff spot. However, all you can do is give yourself a chance, which Friday night’s 5-4 win certainly does.

Ahead of Saturday’s action, the Mariners are now 75-73, 4.5 games back of the Houston Astros in the division and with three more to play against them next week. Next up the M’s send Logan Gilbert to the mound on Saturday evening, with every game now a must-win scenario.

What is standing out for you most so far, during this Mariners homestand in general? How confident are you in them taking the final two games of this particular series, versus the Rangers? Let us know in the comments section below.