Mariners Survive Brewers, Gain Ground in Wild Card Race
Seattle came limping into Milwaukee after getting pummeled 22-0 the night before, looking to exorcise some demons against the Brewers on Wednesday night. Facing former top prospect Dustin May, the Mariners got the bats going early, plating four runs in the first inning before ultimately winning 7-5.
Current Cy Young candidate Logan Gilbert, emboldened by an early lead, battled through five innings before being pulled in the sixth. Likely two batters too late.
As has been the case all season, Dan Wilson made another questionable decision that nearly cost his team the game. But his players persevered, allowing Seattle to gain considerable ground in the wild-card race.
Did Seattle have a great offensive performance? Absolutely. Were they simultaneously incredibly lucky? Unequivocally. That’s a luxury not often enjoyed by this team as it tries to turn its season around.
WATCH: Sounders, Reign Drop Midweek Matches; Rave Green Lose Eighth Straight
The Seattle Sounders and Seattle Reign both lost 2-1 on Wednesday, with the Sounders falling to MLS foe Austin FC at Lumen Field and the Reign losing to NWSL side Racing Louisville on the road.
The Sounders (7-9-3) dropped their franchise-record eighth MLS game in a row, falling to 12th in the Western Conference. Though young center back Stuart Hawkins scored late, the Rave Green were unable to cope with a rotated Austin team focused on its Leagues Cup run despite narrowly winning the expected-goal battle and outshooting the visitors.
Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer backed the effort his injury-riddled team is putting in during this streak, but watched as All-Star center back Jackson Ragen exited the game early with a hyperextended knee. Schmetzer clarified that Ragen’s removal was precautionary.
At any rate, Seattle is now missing Cristian Roldan, Pedro de la Vega, Yeimar, Paul Arriola, Ragen, Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris with a trip to FC Cincinnati looming on Saturday. Cristian Roldan and Morris could make a return by that fixture.
As for the Reign (8-8-3), Wednesday marked another lost lead as Seattle couldn’t defend the advantage generated by leading scorer Maddie Mercado’s (seven goals in 2026) early goal. Instead, Louisville’s USWNT team star Emma Sears ran riot for a brace, scoring two goals against the run of play as Laura Harvey’s squad failed to deliver on a large xG night for the second game in a row.
The Reign, who suffered just their second loss since the June World Cup break, will also play again on Saturday as they head to defending Shield-winning Kansas City.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Fumble Another Late-Game Comeback vs. Sky
The Seattle Storm nearly erased another double-digit first-half deficit, but they once again couldn’t complete the comeback in an 82-80 loss to the Chicago Sky on Sunday, Aug. 16, at Climate Pledge Arena.
After trailing by as much as 21 points, the Storm put together a late push in the fourth quarter. However, for the second straight game, that effort fell short in a two-point loss.
Seattle (7-30) lost the three-game season series against Chicago (13-22). Dominique Malonga led the Storm with 19 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals and four blocks, while Ezi Magbegor had another quality game with 17 points, four rebounds, one assist and five blocks.
The Sky got a combined 44 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, four steals and four blocks from Kamilla Cardoso and Natasha Cloud. Chicago wasn’t as effective offensively in the second half, but that duo did enough to keep them ahead.
Rapid Reaction: Seahawks Fizzle After Fast Start, Fall 17-7 to Cowboys in Preseason Opener
Despite a fast start to kick off the exhibition season with an opening drive touchdown, the Seattle Seahawks whiffed on multiple fourth down opportunities and the offense went ice cold for the final three quarters of play as the Dallas Cowboys earned a 17-7 victory in the preseason opener.
Rotating snaps under center, Drew Lock completed nine out of 13 passes for 40 yards and tossed a five-yard touchdown to receiver Montorie Foster Jr., while Jalen Milroe rushed for 36 yards and added 36 yards as a passer. Seemingly playing with clones on the field, linebacker Tyrice Knight stuffed the stat sheet with a team-high 10 tackles and two pass breakups, starring in the middle with mostly backups playing on defense for Seattle, while edge rusher Jalan Gaines and safety AJ Finley produced the team’s only tackles for loss.
Here are five takeaways from the preseason opener at Lumen Field:
1. A methodical drive aided by a big penalty finishes with Lock’s arm giving the Seahawks a quick lead.
Playing with all backups on the offensive side of the ball, Lock didn’t waste much time going into aggressive mode from the pocket. After a short run by George Holani and a quick completion to Jake Bobo on the first two plays of the series, the Seahawks faced 3rd and 4 and the veteran backup uncorked a deep ball down the left sideline for veteran receiver Cody White, who got grabbed by cornerback Caelan Carson from behind as the pass sailed over his head. With his progress severely impeded to prevent a big play, he drew a 19-yard pass interference penalty to extend the opening possession.
Mariners' Bullpen Blows Another Lead as Houston Walks it Off in Extras
The Seattle Mariners came limping into Houston having won only one of their last six games. After digging themselves into a three-run deficit early, Dan Wilson’s squad came storming back in the eighth to send the opening game of a critical series to extra innings.
But despite taking a 7-5 lead in the 10th, the bad luck continued, as Houston orchestrated a back-breaking comeback of its own, further putting the AL West division out of reach as a three-run home run by Christian Walker vaulted the Astros to an 8-7 win.
It wasn’t all bad news, as the final result might suggest. Starter George Kirby pitched better than the box score might indicate, and the M’s offense seemingly woke up from a season-long slumber.
A top-30 prospect also made his debut for the team. Brock Rodden debuted at shortstop and looked like a major leaguer already, sparking questions about why he wasn’t brought up earlier given the recent controversy surrounding Colt Emerson’s secret wrist injury.
Unfortunately, the backend of the bullpen surprisingly fell apart with the bats waking up, blowing a two-run lead in the 10th and showing once again that another bullpen acquisition was needed at the trade deadline in what has become quite the missed opportunity for Jerry Dipoto.
Seattle continues to slip further and further from playoff contention, and its players will need to execute to get this squad back on track with time running out to crawl back into the race.
WATCH: Reign ‘Suffocate' Chicago, Grind Out 1-0 Win on Pride Night
SEATTLE, Wash. — The Seattle Reign managed their most dominant showing of the season on Friday night, compiling 3.3 expected goals thanks to a 24-5 shot disparity over the last-place Chicago Stars. But by full-time, Maddie Mercado’s 53rd-minute goal ended up being the decider in a 1-0 game that should have had every making of a blowout.
The result puts the Reign at 8-7-3, back into the playoff picture with 12 games left. Beyond helping their place in the table, it also marked a different kind of win for Seattle, which had scored multiple goals in its past five matches and had to defend leads by scoring more.
The younger Reign squad instead had to burn clock and keep possession on Friday night to ensure they earned a win on a night where they underperformed on the offensive end.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down how the Reign looked so dominant despite the close scoreline.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Swept By Fire in Season Series
The Seattle Storm erased a double-digit first-half deficit but couldn’t roll it into a second straight victory in an 84-82 loss to the Portland Fire on Friday, Aug. 14, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Portland (14-20) was led by a season-high 20 points from Holly Winterburn off the bench, and the Fire also got 14 points each from starters Bridget Carleton, Megan DiLeo and Carla Leite.
Seattle (7-29) couldn’t roll its momentum from Monday’s win into another victory. Dominique Malonga had a rough shooting night, scoring nine points on 3-of-15 shooting. Awa Fam scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Storm.
Amelia Severn Scores Four Goals, Matches Gonzaga Bulldogs Women's Soccer Record in 5-1 Win
There was plenty of optimism for Amelia Severn’s junior year, but no one could have predicted how she would start her 2026 season.
Coming off a First-Team All-WCC campaign where Severn tallied 10 goals and five assists, she introduced herself to the revamped Pac-12 in grand fashion Wednesday night at Luger Field, scoring four goals in Gonzaga women’s soccer season opener. She even mixed in an assist, as she was involved in all of GU’s goals during a 5-1 victory over South Florida. In the first year of a new conference, a feeling-out process is evident for players and coaches. But even as the teams compete outside of the Pac-12, Severn certainly put the league on notice, just one game into the new season.
The compelling part of Severn’s performance is deciding which element was more impressive: her scoring all four of her goals within the match’s first 40 minutes or the fact that each was sequenced differently. Regardless of how Severn’s absurd ‘haul’ unfolded, she matched a Gonzaga record for most goals in a single game, set by the program’s all-time leading scorer, Sara Streufert (44). Severn’s magical night marked the first time a Zag had notched a four-goal game since Streufert in 1998. She has also scored the eighth-most goals in school history, now totaling 18 in her career.
Rotated Sounders Fall to Chivas, Brian Schmetzer Motivated By Team Effort in Defeat
It was expected that iconic Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara would bring in plenty of fans to rival that of the host Seattle Sounders in Wednesday's Leagues Cup Phase One finale.
You can say they did that, as the stands were chock-full of fans donning the classic red and white stripes, chanting "CHIIIIIVAS" as the Liga MX giant downed Seattle 2-1.
The result left both teams at 1-2 in the tournament, ending their respective runs in the competition, which Seattle won for the first time in 2025. But the Sounders, now losers of eight of their last nine games, had already prioritized a busy upcoming MLS stretch by rotating heavily against Chivas — head coach Brian Schmetzer started four Tacoma Defiance call-ups in the game and changed to an unusual 3-4-3 formation for this one.
Schmetzer knew his team would need a win of Biblical proportions plus outside help to advance, and instead rested key pieces like Albert Rusnak, Jackson Ragen and Nouhou for a Sunday bout with Western Conference-leading Vancouver.
Watching a team full of younger guys hang around with a quality opponent, however, made the longtime Seattle skipper emotional postgame.
"That's what it means to wear the jersey," Schmetzer said of his team's effort. "The way those guys fought was the best thing about this evening. Yeah, we didn't win, I get it."
Club legend and goalkeeper Stefan Frei, on duty for this tournament in place of MLS starter Andrew Thomas, saw Wednesday as a chance to keep crawling out of this team-wide slump.
"We're trying to find positives right now," Frei said. "Even though the tournament (was) essentially gone, we're trying to create something today that we can build upon for the weekend when we play Vancouver."
Vandals Electric Start Spoils New-Look Cougars Season Opener
102 seconds. That’s all it took for Washington State women’s head soccer coach Chris Citowicki to get his first taste of adversity as stared down a 1-0 deficit to start the season.
Outmatched from the start by the rival Idaho Vandals, senior goalkeeper Ashlyn Dvorak misplayed a cross less than two minutes into action, which led to a tap in goal from Calli Chiarelli.
The dry summer heat beamed down on a Wazzu side that had eight transfer starters following their new coach from Montana. But Citowicki’s debut continued to go south as Idaho’s Alyssa Hamilton sent in a long looping ball from outside that found her teammate Hallie Prinos-Grumbach for a top left header goal, and just like that, the rout was on.
Wazzu needed to stop the bleeding, but the Vandals struck again at the 9:41 mark. From almost midfield, Prinos-Grumbach sent in a sky ball that evaded all Cougar defenders and found her teammate Hamilton for the header goal, returning the favor after the earlier assist.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Flush Sky, Snap Monstrous Skid
The Seattle Storm played with a lead most of the game, defeated the Chicago Sky 97-88 and avoided what would have been a season-worst 12-game losing streak on Monday, Aug. 10, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle (7-28), despite being short-handed without Flau’jae Johnson, snapped a long losing streak that began on July 9. Dominique Malonga led the Storm with 26 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks — another dominant night for the team’s young star.
Natisha Hiedeman (18 points, nine assists) and Zia Cooke (16 points) also were major contributors in the Storm victory.
Chicago (12-21) took another hit in its pursuit to get back in the playoff hunt. The Sky have lost three of its last four games and are seven games out from eighth place with 11 games remaining. DiJonai Carrington led the Sky with 26 points and five steals.
WATCH: Reign Split Points with Angel City in Thriller Battle For Last Playoff Spot
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down a 2-2 Sunday draw between the Seattle Reign (7-7-3, 9th in NWSL) and Angel City FC (7-7-3, 8th in NWSL).
Attacking midfielder Sally Menti and striker Mia Fishel each finished with a goal and assist as the Reign scored their two goals within two minutes of each other in the early second half. The result marks the second straight game Seattle has managed to change a result by scoring in the second half — something the Reign have struggled with in 2026. Fishel’s goal, a curling shot to the top-left corner in the 52nd minute, was a showstopper as the 24-year-old finds her footing with her third goal of the season.
Angel City substitute Prisca Chilufya scored a floating goal in the 72nd, however, to equalize before both teams missed out on late chances at a winner in stoppage.
Seattle remains out of the playoff picture with 13 games to play by virtue of Angel City having a better goal differential. The Reign will be back in action at Lumen Field at 7 p.m. on Friday against the Chicago Stars.
Sounders Snap 7-Game Skid, Down Queretaro 3-0 in Leagues Cup Group Stage
The Seattle Sounders finally got a result on Sunday afternoon, and they did it emphatically.
To snap a franchise-worst seven-game losing streak, the Rave Green took down Liga MX side Queretaro 3-0 in the second game of their Leagues Cup run, scoring in a variety of well-executed attacks.
Seattle's offense was fueled by Tacoma Defiance signee Sebastian Gomez, who made his first start on the right wing to total an early goal and an assist by the game's end. Designated player Albert Rusnak scored his first goal in three months late, while Danny Musovski scored one of two Paul Rothrock assists for the first goal by a Sounders starting striker in 2026.
Just as the good feeling peaked late in the second half, 2025 Leagues Cup MVP Pedro de la Vega made his season debut after rehabbing from a knee injury since last fall. After eight solid minutes in which he opened eyes with his individual quality on the ball, de la Vega went down with a non-contact left quad injury to put a dampener on the good vibes Seattle had meticulously accrued.
The Sounders, still on a six-game MLS losing streak at 7-7-3 and out of the playoff picture, out-possessed Queretaro at over 60% and put up over two expected goals, thanks in large part to an improved performance from a rejuvenated defending midfield.
All in all, Seattle addressed plenty of issues and filled in gaps caused by key injuries well, starting the path toward salvaging what's been a 2026 season gone awry.
"The focus was on (the team) believing that they could win," head coach Brian Schmetzer said postgame.
From all appearances, and a lighter locker room postgame, the Sounders have at least started the process of regaining that confidence.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Tie Season-Long Losing Streak With Loss to Fire
Dominique Malonga and Jade Melbourne combined for 44 points against a short-handed Portland Fire squad, but the Seattle Storm once again whiffed on a clutch game victory in a 100-93 loss on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Moda Center.
Melbourne set a new career-high with 23 points and five assists, while Malonga added 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks. The rest of the Storm’s starters struggled, however, and the bench had to contribute 32 points to keep Seattle (6-28) in the game.
Portland (13-19) lost its leading scorer early, but it got consistent offense from the entire team to win its second straight game. Bridget Carleton totaled a team-high 24 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Fire’s short streak comes after losing five in a row.
Sounders Outclassed in Leagues Cup Opener vs. Toluca
The Seattle Sounders have lost in a variety of ways in the current seven-game losing streak they're on.
But Wednesday's Leagues Cup opener against Concacaf Champions Cup winner Toluca felt different, as Seattle lost 3-0 as a clearly outclassed squad. The Sounders, as defending Leagues Cup champions, were outshot 38-4, allowing an 18-2 shots-on-frame disparity as Toluca generated 3.5 expected goals to Seattle's 0.3.
The Sounders, still down key pieces like Cristian Roldan and Yeimar, struggled to institute their press against an uber-talented Toluca squad — which scored in the third minute. From there, 40-year-old Seattle keeper Stefan Frei, who is handling Leagues Cup duties in place of usual starter Andrew Thomas to give the club legend some minutes, was pushed to his limit with 15 saves. Thanks — solely at times — to Frei, the game stayed at 1-0 somehow despite a flurry of Toluca chances off set pieces and open-play chances alike.
Frei made multiple diving saves, even coming off his line to stop 1-on-1 chances to keep Seattle within swiping range of a team that was clearly better than it on this night.
But Toluca, the Liga MX 2024-25 second-half and 2025-26 first-half champions, kept the foot on the gas and found the second goal off a rebound in the mid-second half before similarly adding a third in second-half stoppage.
Despite the injuries, the eight-hour flight from Seattle to Toluca, the 8,000-plus foot elevation and the Sounders' recent form, the nature in which they lost was astonishing. Toluca playmakers like Jesús Gallardo and Alexis Vega broke Seattle's press with ease, making a team that started 2026 as one of MLS' great defenses look far below average with consistency.
Without the intervention of a vintage Frei, Seattle could have been on the wrong end of a remake of its 7-0 win over Liga MX powerhouse Cruz Azul last season, which propelled it to the Leagues Cup title.
Sounders skipper Brian Schmetzer, ever the competitor confident in his team’s ability to win big games, compared Seattle trying to take down Toluca to the most iconic "miracle" in American sports postgame.
"Could we have won the game? Maybe. I mean, the (U.S.) men's hockey team in 1980… beat the Russians," Schmetzer said. "We beat Miami last year in the Leagues Cup final; we were the underdogs. So things like that can happen, but this was going to be a heavy ask."
Instant Takeaways: Storm Fall to Liberty, Spoil Another Elite Malonga Performance
The New York Liberty spoiled Dominique Malonga’s second-career 30-point game in a 92-86 loss for the Seattle Storm on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at the Barclays Center.
Malonga scored 31 points and added 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block to lead Seattle (6-27), which dropped its 10th straight game. No other player scored more than 13 for the Storm.
New York (19-13), which was led by 28 points and eight rebounds from Breanna Stewart, has won six of its last seven games. Jonquel Jones also posted a monster game with 14 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.
Even with a lineup shift that put Ezi Magbegor back in the starting lineup, momentum hasn’t shifted for the Storm in the last two games. Their last victory came nearly a month ago on July 6.
Instant Takeaways: Seattle Storm Lose Ninth Straight With Loss to Liberty
The Seattle Storm’s (6-26) losing streak was extended to nine games on Monday, as it fell 95-83 to the New York Liberty (18-13) at the Barclays Center.
It was a rough start for the Storm, and the Liberty went on several hot streaks throughout the game to nullify chances of a comeback. But Seattle managed to keep things competitive for the most part, primarily on the backs of Flau’jae Johnson, Natisha Hiedeman, and Dominique Malonga. Another New York run late in the third quarter proved to be the difference, as that momentum was enough to put the Storm away for good.
What plagued Seattle this time?
Colt Emerson, Mariners Overcome Bullpen Collapse for Second Straight Walk-Off Win vs Twins
The Seattle Mariners raced out to an early 6-0 lead before their bullpen imploded in the eighth inning, allowing the Minnesota Twins to rally to inexplicably tie the game. But after blowing a save in the ninth, the Mariners redeemed themselves for their second walk-off win in as many days.
Rookie Colt Emerson’s hard-hit walk-off single capped another outstanding offensive performance by a club that has struggled with consistency swinging the bats this season. Combined with a scoreless seven innings from George Kirby, it looked like a blowout in the making, but these M’s like to give fans cardiac trouble.
The bullpen had other plans, with several top arms giving up timely home runs to allow their fellow wild-card contender back into the game. How did they squander a six-run lead before managing to survive with the win?
WATCH: Timbers Strike Late, Extend Sounders' Streak of Misery to 6 Games
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali details a 2-1 Seattle Sounders loss at the Portland Timbers on Saturday night, dropping the Rave Green into a franchise-worst six-game losing streak and to a 7-7-3 record. Portland also leapfrogged Seattle in the standings, occupying the eighth and final spot in the MLS playoff picture with three months to play.
Jess Fishlock Saves Reign From Bay FC Comeback Bid
She did it again.
With precious seconds ticking off a blown lead and a 2-2 ball game in San Jose against expansion Bay FC on Saturday night, veteran midfielder Jess Fishlock, in her final season for Seattle Reign, took the field.
A team marred by streaky performances in terms of holding onto leads put their faith in the 39-year-old to bring what they had been unable to attain in 2026: A goal past the 80th minute of play.
Mere seconds into her time on the field, Fishlock scored off a fast-break opportunity to cap off a 3-2 win in which winger Maddie Dahlien scored, and striker Mia Fishel found her first goal in the run of play for Seattle. The result places Seattle at 7-7-2 and ninth in the NWSL — tied with their next opponent in Angel City for the final playoff spot at the midway point of the season.
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