Cal Raleigh and Eugenio Suarez Unleash The Swings Of Their Lives To Flip Game 5 On Its Head And Put The Mariners One Game Away From Their First World Series Trip In Franchise History
On Friday night the Mariners were headed towards their third straight defeat in the ALCS. Six outs separated them from staring down the barrel of potential elimination in Game 6.
That's when MVP candidate Cal Raleigh uncorked a game-tying solo shot to tie things up. Just like that the Mariners had life.
The three batter rule is a real motherfucker in the postseason. In the event you bring in the wrong guy late in a massive postseason game who immediately doesn't have it and gives up a momentum-shifting game-tying homer, you're stuck with him for two more hitters. Those next Mariners batters would walk versus a rattled Brendon Little. In came Seranthony Dominguez who would plunk Randy Arozarena to load em' up with nobody out for Eugenio Suarez, the 3rd baseman who came over from the Diamondbacks at the deadline had been a disaster at the plate for Seattle. That's all a forgotten memory now. Geno unleashed the swing of his life on a go ahead grand slam in the ALCS. Seattle was up for grabs. What a moment for the city. Postseason baseball baby. Hero shit.
Three outs later in the next half inning and the Mariners had won Game 5. In the blink of an eye they have retaken control of the series and are just one win away from their first trip to the World Series in franchise history.
Jays fans will certainly go back to the 8th inning and question Schneider for why he went to Little in the 8th and not Dominguez or Hoffman. Toronto isn't dead by any means, but they'll now have to win both Games 6 and 7 if it means they'll be going to the World Series. Having the home crowd will be nice, but they lost both games with that advantage to begin the series. Pitching decisions will be chaotic the rest of the way. Meanwhile the Dodgers will be on vacation resting with their feet up as their await their eventual victim. It really does feel like they'll be the inevitable winner, but who knows? At least the ALCS is worth watching the rest of the way.