SCOTT SERVAIS

Luis Castillo pitched seven shutout innings and the Seattle Mariners grabbed sole possession of first place in the AL West, beating the Kansas City Royals 3-2 to complete a three-game sweep.

The Seattle Mariners were mostly sellers at the trade deadline three weeks ago, dealing closer Paul Sewald to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a move signaling that this season probably wouldn’t end in the playoffs.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic was placed on the 10-day injured list with a broken bone in his left foot after kicking a water cooler following a ninth-inning strikeout the night before.

Terry Francona of the Cleveland Guardians and Buck Showalter of the New York Mets have been voted Managers of the Year, improving the already sparkling resumes of both veteran baseball leaders.

Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Yordan Alvarez are the finalists for American League MVP in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The Seattle Mariners believe snapping their 21-year playoff drought is only the beginning.

There was bunting draped off the railings in October and logos painted on the grass of T-Mobile Park that were absent for the past two decades when the Seattle Mariners were stuck in baseball purgatory and left as a spectator every postseason.

Yordan Alvarez smashed a game-ending, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning off Robbie Ray, wrecking Seattle’s strategy of using a Cy Young Award winner in a rare relief role and vaulting the Houston Astros over the Mariners 8-7 in their playoff opener.

When Justin Verlander takes the mound for the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners, it will have been almost three years since his last playoff appearance.

There’s a whole lot riding on Alek Manoah’s first career playoff start, but the Toronto Blue Jays All-Star right-hander isn’t the least bit fazed about facing the Seattle Mariners in Friday’s wild-card opener.

Baseball is fun again in the Pacific Northwest in a way that it hasn’t been in more than two decades.

Mitch Haniger and Jarred Kelenic both homered twice, J.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, a leading candidate for the AL Rookie of the Year award, has been put on the 10-day injured list because of a lower back strain.

Dansby Swanson hit one of Atlanta’s four home runs and the World Series champion Braves grabbed sole possession of first place for the first time all season with a 6-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.

Julio Rodríguez and the Seattle Mariners agreed to a $209.3 million, 12-year contract starting next season that would be worth $469.6 million over 17 years if he wins two MVP awards.

Seattle right-hander George Kirby set a major league record by throwing 24 straight strikes to start the game and fellow Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez reached a new level, but Ildemaro Vargas hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning that lifted the Washington Nationals to a 3-1 win.

Carlos Santana snapped an 0-for-17 slump with a go-ahead two-run homer during Seattle’s three-run seventh inning, and the Mariners rallied to beat the slumping New York Yankees 4-3.

Pinch-hitter Luis Torrens singled with one out in the 13th inning to score Eugenio Suárez, and the Seattle Mariners beat the New York Yankees 1-0 in a game dominated by the starting pitching of Gerrit Cole and Luis Castillo.

Aaron Judge hit his 44th homer, Josh Donaldson went deep and drove in three runs, and the New York Yankees snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Seattle Mariners 9-4.

Jesse Winker hit a grand slam, Marco Gonzales struck out seven and the Seattle Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3 as Shohei Ohtani received a visit from trainers and continued to struggle.

Seattle star rookie Julio Rodríguez was placed on the injured list with a bruised right wrist Sunday after being hit by a pitch a night before.

The playoff-hopeful Seattle Mariners are holding their collective breath that All-Star rookie Julio Rodríguez isn’t seriously injured.

Abraham Toro pinch-hit for injured All-Star Julio Rodriguez and delivered a two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning as the Seattle Mariners rallied past the AL-West leading Houston Astros 5-4.

Ron Guidry, Bernie Williams and Tino Martinez highlight the Yankees alumni set to appear at Old-Timers’ Day in the Bronx prior to a matchup with the Kansas City Royals.

Julio Rodríguez connected again, hitting a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning and the Seattle Mariners finished off a three-game sweep by beating the Texas Rangers 4-2.

Justin Verlander became the major leagues’ first 13-game winner, striking out nine and topping 99 mph in his final inning to lead the Houston Astros over the Seattle Mariners 3-1.

Rookie sensation Julio Rodríguez was a last-minute scratch from the Seattle Mariners’ lineup before a 5-2 loss to the Houston Astros with left wrist soreness.

The Seattle Mariners won their 14th straight game when rookie All-Star Julio Rodríguez hit a two-run double and Ty France homered after joining him on the AL team to beat the Texas Rangers 6-2.

J.

Robbie Ray struck out 12 without a walk over 6 2/3 innings, rookie All-Star center fielder Julio Rodríguez hit a grand slam and the Seattle Mariners have their longest winning streak in more than two decades, beating the Texas Rangers 8-3 for their 12th win in a row.

Ty France hit a two-run single in the eighth inning as the Seattle Mariners rallied from four runs down to beat the Texas Rangers 6-5 and extended their winning streak to 11 games.

Jesse Winker hit his second solo homer of the day and the Seattle Mariners won their 10th straight game, edging the Washington Nationals 2-1 to sweep a doubleheader.

Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a throw bust through the webbing of his glove and the Seattle Mariners took advantage for their eighth straight win, beating the Blue Jays 6-5 on two home runs by Carlos Santana.

Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson is serving his final days with Minnesota before leaving for the same job with LSU.

Los Angeles Angels interim manager Phil Nevin was suspended 10 games and Seattle Mariners outfielder Jesse Winker received a five-game ban from Major League Baseball for their roles in a benches-clearing brawl during the second inning of Sunday’s game.

A lengthy bench-clearing brawl resulted in the ejections of six players and both managers in the second inning of the Los Angeles Angels’ 2-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

Major League Baseball will certainly soon be handing out penalties after the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels got into a huge brawl at Anaheim.

Justin Verlander struck out a season-high 12 in seven sparkling innings, Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run homer and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 4-1.

Astros pitcher Héctor Neris was suspended four games and Houston manager Dusty Baker was banned one game by Major League Baseball after both were ejected from a game against Seattle in which Neris plunked one hitter and nearly hit another in the head.

A pair of Cy Young Award winners are on the mound when Corbin Burnes and the Milwaukee Brewers visit Blake Snell and the San Diego Padres in a matchup between two of the National League's top teams Tuesday night.

Trevor Story hit a grand slam over the Green Monster and into the hands of a former Red Sox player a night after hitting three over Fenway Park’s fabled left field wall to leading Boston to a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

Mariners left-hander Robbie Ray isn’t joining Seattle for a series in Toronto this week, missing a chance to celebrate the Cy Young Award he won with the Blue Jays last season amid border restrictions related to the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Pirates head to Wrigley Field seeking a slightly more convincing victory a day after beating the Reds 1-0 despite having zero hits.

Milwaukee’s Willy Adames is powering a Brewers surge with seven homers in his past 10 games, including two during a 10-5 trouncing of Cincinnati on Thursday.

Justin Verlander pitched three-hit ball over eight innings for his first win since July 2020 and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 4-0.

Cleveland rookie Steven Kwan hit.

Gary Sánchez hit a grand slam into the third deck and Carlos Correa launched his first homer for the Minnesota Twins in a 10-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

The Seattle Mariners won for the 10th time in 11 games and stayed in the thick of the AL wild-card race with a 4-2 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Mitch Haniger hit two identical three-run homers and the Seattle Mariners gained precious ground in the AL wild-card race with a 13-4 win over the Oakland Athletics.

MLB clubhouses and dugouts are no longer as crowded during the final weeks of the regular season.

Luis Torrens hit a tiebreaking two-run single, Chris Flexen pitched neatly into the seventh inning and the Seattle Mariners swept a quick two-game series against the Oakland Athletics with a 5-1 win.

Ty France tied the game with a solo home run in the ninth inning and put the Seattle Mariners on top with an RBI single in the 11th before Kyle Seager belted a three-run homer in a 6-3 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Anthony Rizzo and the New York Yankees host surprising Seattle in the opener of a four-game series between AL wild-card contenders Thursday night.

Dylan Moore hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to lift the Seattle Mariners to an 11-8 comeback win against the Houston Astros.

Shohei Ohtani became the sixth player to reach the upper deck of T-Mobile Park with a majestic blast for his 33rd homer, but Mitch Haniger’s two-out grand slam in the eighth inning lifted the Seattle Mariners over the Los Angeles Angels 7-3.

Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani is expected to become the second player and first since Babe Ruth to start on the mound and hit in the top half of the batting order in the Bronx.

Seattle Mariners pitcher Héctor Santiago has become the first player disciplined under Major League Baseball’s crackdown on grip-enhancing foreign substances.

Seattle Mariners reliever Kendall Graveman is back with the team after being on the injured list following a COVID-19 scare.

Four Seattle relievers were placed on the COVID-19 injured list after the Mariners reported a positive test within the team.

Spencer Turnbull pitched the fifth no-hitter in the majors already this season, sending the Detroit Tigers to a 5-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

The major league debuts of outfielder Jarred Kelenic and pitcher Logan Gilbert are part of a major roster reshuffling for the Seattle Mariners.

Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes is set to face St. Louis on Thursday in his first start since testing positive for the coronavirus last month.

The Chicago Cubs hope to stay on schedule amid a coronavirus scare that’s landed four players on the COVID-19 injured list the past two days.

Mitch Haniger homered and hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to give the Seattle Mariners a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Even in the freezing cold, it was hard to dim the joy for fans across Major League Baseball.

FILE - Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto, second from left, manager Scott Servais, right, and team president and CEO Kevin Mather, second from right, watch from the stands during baseball practice in Seattle, in this July 8, 2020, file photo. Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais are doing damage control with players who were directly mentioned or referenced by former team CEO Kevin Mather in an online video that led to his resignation. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais are doing damage control with players who were directly mentioned or referenced by former team CEO Kevin Mather in an online video that led to his resignation. “We are very open with our players and urge them to be the same. He also admitted the team may be manipulating service time for some of its young players.

FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2018, file photo, Seattle Mariners president Kevin Mather stands on the field before the team's baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)Seattle Mariners CEO and team President Kevin Mather has apologized for comments made during a recent online event where he expressed opinions about organizational strategy, personnel moves and club finances. “I want to apologize to every member of the Seattle Mariners organization, especially our players and to our fans. “I am committed to make amends for the things I said that were personally hurtful and I will do whatever it takes to repair the damage I have caused to the Seattle Mariners organization,” Mather said. And Mather made disparaging comments about former pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, who recently rejoined the team as a special assignment coach.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, that Strasburg is in preparation mode not in rehabilitation mode at spring training after having surgery in 2020. So the familiar feel of February spring training has pitchers eager to unleash fastballs, spin a few breaking balls and get ready for the 162-game long haul. “Spring training is 50 days long,” Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais said. But young pitchers — many of whom didn't throw many innings last season — will have to be watched closely. He practiced on the first day of spring training Wednesday but an MRI later revealed the break.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Big league managers say Major League Baseball instructed them to prepare for spring training to start on time in mid-February despite uncertainty around the coronavirus. Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday that officials from the commissioner's office had a meeting with managers Tuesday and expressed optimism about opening spring camps as scheduled. “I think Major League Baseball was somewhat the petri dish,” Cash said. Obviously if you look at last year’s situation, Major League Baseball, everybody adjusted on the fly. "So right now we’re going as scheduled, with planning on playing a 162-game season, but you have to be adaptable.

Seattle Mariners left fielder Tim Lopes reaches into seats occupied by cutouts while unsuccessfully trying to catch a foul by hit by San Francisco Giants' Wilmer Flores during the third inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020. Donovan Solano and Mauricio Dubon hit early RBI singles as the Giants backed Drew Smyly (1-0) and snapped a three-game losing streak with a “road” victory at Oracle Park. Crawford contributed a two-out shot in the seventh and Mike Yastrzemski added an RBI double as the Giants pounded out 15 hits. Some went straight to Oracle Park upon landing in San Francisco, while others opted to stop by the team hotel. Game time temperature in San Francisco, 71 degrees.

SEATTLE Seattle and San Diego completed a seven-player trade Sunday night, with catcher Austin Nola joining the contending Padres and prized outfield prospect Taylor Trammel going to the Mariners as centerpieces of the deal. Seattle sent Nola and right-handed relievers Austin Adams and Dan Altavilla to the Padres, while Trammell led a list of youngsters headed back to the Mariners. This season, Nola has started 23 games behind the plate and two at first base. Altavilla has been part of Seattles bullpen since 2016 but has appeared in more than 22 games only once. Muoz appeared in 22 games last season for the Padres and was regularly clocked above 100 mph with his fastball.

It was the 10th time in major league history that opposing brothers both went deep in a game. The teams combined for seven long balls, marking the second straight game there have been seven or more at Chavez Ravine. He had a three-run drive to right field during the second inning that gave Los Angeles a short-lived 6-2 advantage. Los Angeles' Ross Stripling struggled for the second straight outing, allowing three homers and seven runs (six earned) in three innings. Los Angeles RHP Tony Gonsolin (0-0) has not allowed a run over 8 2/3 innings in two previous starts this season.

The outbreak among Miami Marlins players has highlighted the major leagues' vulnerabilities, though teams were already reexamining approaches after the first few days of play. It's not clear how the virus spread among Marlins players, though the cascading postponements have focused attention on safety protocols. Teams were aggressive in the ramp up to the season while preparing to return to the field during the pandemic. Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove said social distancing does have negative effects on team interaction that are hard to overcome. I think thats the biggest piece that is missing.