Naylor Bombs, Kirby Strikes Finish Mariners’ Four-Game Sweep against Astros
How quickly things can turn around for a baseball club. Just four days prior, the Mariners took a badly-needed rest day as they came off a five-game skid to round out an opening baker’s dozen contests where each series had been worse than the last: a four-game split, a three-game series loss to a good team (the Yankees), a three-game series loss to a bad one (the Angels), and a three-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers.
And then an odd thing happened: the M’s got handed a get-right series by the Houston Astros of all teams. The same Astros that had tyrannized the division for a decade, with a philosophy of a never-ending window and an organization that seemed to churn out All-Stars like butter. But early in April, Houston’s arms have been either banged-up, straight-up bad, or both.
With that and a bit of mental fortitude, a Mariners offense who had scored 40 runs in their first 13 games finished up a 29-run four-game set with a 6-2 victory over their rivals on Monday, completing as big a sweep as an April series can offer.
Josh Naylor finally broke through his early-season slump, mashing two homers and knocking in five.
For much of the beginning of the year, even during the sparse games when the offense put up strong numbers, the bulk of the production had been coming from the bottom of the lineup. Even in the turnaround game on Friday and the thunderous comeback on Saturday, it was Randy Arozarena and bottom of the order that got the party started.
Analysis: What Does Cal Raleigh Non-Challenge Mean for Mariners ABS Strategy?
Use it or lose it. That’s a phrase that applies to many things in life: youth, a second language, differential calculus, Mark Knopfler’s finger-picking technique, and as of the beginning of the 2026 Major League Baseball season, your team’s two Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system challenges.
Here are the rules: each team gets two ABS challenges for balls and strikes that must be used immediately after any pitch is thrown. If a challenge is unsuccessful, one challenge is taken away from that team. If a team is out of challenges by the beginning of any extra inning, they get one more.
On Thursday night in Seattle, the Cleveland Guardians offered two challenges: one by catcher Bo Naylor to overturn a 2-2 ball call and strike out Cole Young in the bottom of the fifth inning, and the other a failed challenge by left fielder Steven Kwan after a 1-2 Logan Gilbert slider veered back onto the strike zone at the last gasp.
The Mariners didn’t use any.
Mariners’ Andrés Muñoz Enters 2026 as Top-Level Closer - Can He Become Best in Baseball?
Any premier baseball team needs a top-line reliever for the biggest situations, and the Mariners’ Andrés Muñoz proved himself time and again in 2025. How does he stack up against baseball’s other elite closers?
Three Takeaways from Mariners 2026 Coaching Staff Announcements
The Mariners announced their coaching staff going into 2026, and although most of the figures from their recently concluded season are coming back, that in and of itself - along with the additions that did take place - give a window into Seattle’s plans.
Eduard Bazardo Had Breakout Season in 2025; Can He Recover from Game 7 Disaster?
One of the biggest surprises out of Seattle’s bullpen in 2025 was the stamina and ability of Eduard Bazardo, who filled out the middle innings more than anyone else over the course of the year. But can the breakout reliever recover from his Game 7 blown save?
Glimpsing Offseason Priorities: Four Takeaways from Mariners’ End-of-Season Interviews
The Mariners front office responded to the media’s questions on Thursday morning, offering some indication—however murky—about their plans for 2026. What were the four key things that the press conference told us?
Decisions Behind Disaster: Managerial Tendencies Sunk Mariners in Game 7
Mariners manager Dan Wilson made a decision that will live in infamy during Game 7, and the mistake cost the M’s the season. That decision and others on Monday reflected long-visible managerial tendencies that Wilson will have to adjust come 2026.
Heartbreak: George Springer Ends Mariners Season in Game 7 of the ALCS
The Mariners couldn’t get it done. That much is not new; it has been true 48 times before. But the way it happened in 2025 was one that brought the city of Seattle closer than they had ever come—and that is why it stung the hardest.
‘All Hands on Deck’: Mariners Face Blue Jays in ALCS Game 7
For the very first time, the Mariners are playing in a Game 7, but it will be in hostile territory as Toronto looks to punch their own World Series ticket in their friendly confines. Do the M’s have what it takes to reach the Fall Classic?
Good Vibes Only: Inside Geno Suárez' Finest Hour
Eugenio Suárez’ Game 5 go-ahead grand slam was a long time coming for the once and present Mariner, and the moment was one that will be remembered in the Emerald City for generations.
Luis Castillo, Mariners Get Pulverized by Blue Jays 8-2 in Game 4, ALCS Tied at Two Games Apiece
It was another boat race for the Blue Jays on Thursday night, as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and co. once again put on a hitting clinic to knot the series at two games apiece. Why did the Mariners once again fall victim to Toronto’s aggressive swingers?
Bryce Miller to Start Game 5 for Mariners, Woo Available from Bullpen
Mariners manager Dan Wilson announced that Bryce Miller will get the ball for Game 5, while team ace Bryan Woo will be one of the team’s bullpen options in what could be their final home game of 2025. The decision indicates some continued caution around Woo following his injury in Houston.
Baseball’s Genuine ‘Playoff P’: Jorge Polanco Stakes Claim to October Greatness
After a down 2024 and a pedestrian playoff history in Minnesota, few might have expected Jorge Polanco to headline Seattle’s October run in 2025. But the switch-hitting infielder had given months’ worth of signs that he was primed for the postseason.
Three Massive Managerial Moments that Decided ALDS Game 5
Many of the memorable moments of ALDS Game 5 came from the players on the field, but some of the biggest keys of the game resulted from the battle of wits between A. J. Hinch and Dan Wilson. How did Wilson and the Mariners triumph on the managing front?
Final Thoughts: Mariners Found Long Path to Victory During Instant Classic Game 5
A 15-inning epic, a long-awaited return, an instant classic. The Mariners’ marathon win over the Detroit Tigers defied logic and expectations, but perhaps that was the only way such a victory could occur.
Rapid Reaction: Polanco’s Walk-Off Single Propels Mariners Past Tigers in 15-Inning Thriller to Clinch ALCS Berth
In a near five-hour baseball extravaganza with over 500 pitches thrown and 15 pitchers used, the Mariners advanced to the ALCS for the first time since 2001 with a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers in 15 innings thanks to a walkoff single by Jorge Polanco.
Mariners Bounced Back Many Times in 2025 Regular Season—Can Kirby, Mariners Do So Again?
It was all over about four times during the 2025 regular season, as the Mariners repeatedly went on the verge of crashing out completely. But repeatedly, they roared back—can they do it when there is truly no other option?
WATCH: Can Seattle Mariners Beat Tarik Skubal-led Tigers in ALDS Game 5?
The Detroit Tigers went to town on the Mariners bullpen on Wednesday afternoon, forcing a winner-take-all ALDS Game 5 in Seattle. Can the M’s defeat the best pitcher in the AL and punch their ticket to the ALCS?
‘Vintage’ Logan Gilbert, ‘Grind-‘Em-Out’ At-Bats Prove Pivotal in Mariners’ Game 3 Rain-Delayed Victory
Despite two close battles at home, the Mariners’ relatively more comfortable Tuesday triumph showcased what often turns Seattle’s solid team into an excellent one.
M’s Resilient Game 2 Win Showed Growth from Julio RodrÃguez, Dan Wilson
The Mariners’ victory on Sunday night was as exhilarating as it was important, and the performances both on the field and in the dugout showed big improvements for the squad.
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