If you, like most, watched even a piece of Saturday’s Astros-Mariners marathon from home, then consider yourself lucky. But pity the glorious gamers in Seattle who not only had to survive the tensest of playoff games, pocketing their anxious hands to keep from biting the nails down to nubs, but also had to be so so sober. Ballparks stop serving beer when the seventh inning starts. Those poor fans didn’t know the game would last 11 more innings after that.
No game in the entirety of baseball’s long history had gone scoreless through 15 innings in the postseason, let alone 16 innings or 17 innings, which is what happened Saturday night in Seattle before the Astros, behind Jeremy Peña’s solo home run to the left field seats , won an 18-inning, 1-0 eliminator over the Mariners. It was the longest postseason game in baseball’s history.
The past few weeks unfolded in magical fashion for the Mariners. But live on the tightrope, fall from it, too. And the Mariners will wait until next year while the Astros moved on.
In fact, the Yankees and Guardians almost lapped that game in Seattle, despite a first pitch that flew three and a half hours later. The Yankees held a 5-3 lead on the Guardians in the eighth inning when the Astros finally finished off the Mariners.
Anyway, after all the drama, only one series survived to see Sunday: the Yankees and Guardians. Here’s what to look forward to with a hint of picks for some hints. Let it rip.
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