SEATTLE — For all the rain that this lush region of the country accumulates, more than any major U.S. city, there’s been a widespread drought here as equally insatiable as it is intangible. The Mariners, who on their best days can be the most coveted and beloved show in town, have longed to return to that elite stage, but the drought has weighed down those ambitions, especially as it lingered for more than two decades.
Manager Scott Servais says he thinks about the drought every day but acknowledges that it comes with the territory, a byproduct of 20 long years seeping into the fabric of an organization to the point where it becomes ingrained in its identity.
And now, the drought is over. Thanks to a pinch-hit walk-off home run from Cal Raleigh in Friday’s 2-1 win over the A’s, a reign is underway in Seattle, and finally, the longest active playoff void in North American professional sports has ended. The Mariners, at long last, are headed to the postseason.
Seattle, which entered the day with a magic number of one, clinched an AL Wild Card berth with its thrilling victory at T-Mobile Park.