9/16/25

(Kansas City, MO) For the final time in the 2025 regular season, the Seattle Mariners hit the road for a six-game road trip that would be set-up like a meal. First came the appetizer, a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals who entered the week flirting with elimination from the postseason chase. Seattle missed a chance to bury Cleveland and Tampa Bay on the previous road trip, but with a nine-game winning streak, the M’s looked to land the knockout blow on the Royals while battling it out with Houston for the AL West and Detroit for the #2 seed and a first-round bye.

The two teams split a four-game series in Seattle over the summer in what was a very even and back-and-forth series. Both teams would start pitchers in the opener that did throw in that series in Seattle. Logan Gilbert took the ball for Seattle after a decent start against Kansas City his last time out despite it being shorter due to a high pitch count, just like his most recent start against the Cardinals. For Kansas City, it would be Michael Wacha taking the ball in game one. Wacha struggled against the M’s in Seattle, giving up five runs on eight hits in arguably his worst start of the season.

Mariners 12, Royals 5 (Game One)

Seattle started very fast in the top of the 1st, getting to Michael Wacha quickly. After Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch to begin the game, Cal Raleigh hooked a double into right field for his 22nd two-bagger of the season. In came the red-hot Julio Rodríguez and he stayed in the zone while doing some damage. J-Rod slapped a grounder into right center that rolled a ways into the gap. Arozarena and Raleigh both scored on Julio’s 31st double of the season and just three batters in, Seattle led 2-0.

After Logan Gilbert pitched around a Bobby Witt Jr. single, Seattle added on in the 2nd. Dominic Canzone led off the inning and began what would be a very special day for the lefty. Canzone got his hands in on a slider on the inner half and barreled it up out to right field for a no-doubter. A 419-foot blast was Canzone’s eighth of the season and made it 3-0 Mariners.

Once again Gilbert got in some trouble with runners on second and third with one out, but a strikeout and a nice catch by Victor Robles erased the threat and Seattle broke it open in the 3rd. A little history started the inning as Cal Raleigh kept a deep fly ball fair down the right field line for a solo shot and his 55th home run of the season. The blast moved Raleigh by Mickey Mantle for the most home runs in a season by a switch-hitter, adding another record to Raleigh’s historic, never-before-seen season.

That was just the beginning of the 3rd as things snowballed from there. J-Rod followed up the home run with a single for his second hit of the game. Josh Naylor got involved with a grounder just fair down the right field line. Julio would score all the way from first as Naylor reached with his 26th double of the year to make it 5-0. Jorge Polanco singled to right to put men on the corners with nobody out but the Royals would trade a run for two outs as Eugenio Suárez hit into a double play, but Naylor scored making it 6-0. Dominic Canzone extended the inning with a single and Victor Robles cashed in on the opportunity. Robles sent one to the wall in left center and with two outs, Canzone scored easily from first. Robles would get into third without a slide for his first triple of the year. That would end the day for Michael Wacha in what was his worst start of the season as the Mariners opened up a 7-0 lead in the 3rd.

Some nice defense by J.P. Crawford helped Logan Gilbert out of more trouble in the bottom of the 3rd, keeping the Royals off the scoreboard. In the top of the 4th, Seattle added on while more history was made. Randy Arozarena drew walk off of Daniel Lynch IV before Cal Raleigh wasted no time adding to his memorable season. On the first pitch from the right side of the plate, Raleigh drove a changeup on the outer black out to center field for his second home run of the day and 56th of the season. It was the fifth time in his career that Raleigh homered from both sides of the plate in the same game and he also at the same time tied Ken Griffey Jr. for the most home runs in a single season by a Seattle Mariner. The year of the Big Dumper just continues as Seattle continued to pour it on with a 9-0 lead.

The two teams would trade solo home runs as the M’s offensive outburst continued. In the bottom of the 4th, Kansas City native Carter Jensen would have a very cool moment with his hometown team. Jensen launched his first MLB home run out to left field to give the hometown kid a moment he will never forget. Seattle would get that run back in the top of the 5th however as Dominic Canzone joined Cal Raleigh with his own multi-home run game with a solo shot to center. Canzone’s ninth homer of the year got the M’s to double digits as they maintained a nine-run lead with a 10-1 advantage.

Seattle left the bases loaded in the top of the 6th and weird stuff began to happen once again at Kauffman Stadium. In the bottom of the 6th, Kansas City would chase Logan Gilbert and began to fight back. With nobody on and two outs, Jonathan India singled to end Gilbert’s day and put the Seattle bullpen to work. Carlos Vargas would be the first reliever used but he just added on to Carter Jensen’s special day. After hitting his first big league homer, Jensen would send his second out to right to give himself a multi-home run day as well. The two-run blast began to build momentum for the Royals despite trailing 10-3.

Caleb Ferguson got the bullpen on track with a scoreless 7th before Luke Jackson took over for the 8th. After retiring the leadoff man, Jackson would get in some trouble by allowing a walk to Jonathan India. Carter Jensen would get another extra-base hit with his second double of the year to put runners on second and third. Kyle Isbel would hit a grounder that would just go off Jorge Polanco’s glove for an RBI single, making it 10-4. Mike Yastrzemski would bring home Jensen with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 10-5. After hitting Bobby Witt Jr., Jackson was pulled and Gabe Speier came in to try to put out the fire. He would do just that by getting Vinnie Pasquantino to lineout to left to send the game to the 9th with Seattle still leading 10-5.

Jonathan Bowlan pitched the 9th for Kansas City and hit some trouble after allowing a leadoff single to Jorge Polanco. Leo Rivas ran for Polanco and stole second for his sixth stolen base of the year. He stayed at second after a Geno groundout but Dominic Canzone completed his perfect day with an exclamation point. A slider running down and in wasn’t enough to put away Canzone and he drove it out to right for yet another home run. It was Canzone’s third of the day and 10th of the season and put the Royals comeback hopes to bed. Emerson Hancock made sure Canzone’s 5-5 night was not wasted and he spun a 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th thanks to a very nice play by Crawford up the middle. It was a strong start to the final road trip of the season as Seattle won their 10th game in a row with a 12-5 victory over the Royals.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Royals

• Carter Jensen- 3-4, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R
• Kyle Isbel- 2-4, RBI
• Michael Wacha (L, 9-12)- 2.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO

What’s Next

With a 10-game winning streak, the Seattle Mariners (83-68) remain in control of first place in the AL West and continue to climb up the American League standings. Houston defeated Texas again 6-5 on Tuesday so the division lead remains at half of a game for Seattle. Detroit however lost to Cleveland 7-5 in 10 innings which puts Seattle just two games back of the Tigers for a first-round bye and the #2 seed in the American League. Boston fell to the Athletics while the Yankees beat the Twins in a shootout so the Yankees hold the top Wild Card spot, 1 1/2 games ahead of Houston while Boston holds the final spot with a 2 1/2 game lead over Cleveland and 3 1/2 over Texas.

Seattle will look to make it 11 in a row and earn another series victory in game two on Wednesday at 4:40pm. Two pitchers who did not throw in that series in Seattle will meet in the middle game as two young rotation pieces square off. For the M’s, it will be Bryce Miller (4-5, 5.59 ERA) taking the ball as he looks to round into form before the postseason. Miller is coming off one of his best starts of the season despite giving up four runs in 5 2/3 innings as he did not walk a batter and struck out 11 last time out against the Angels. For Kansas City it will be Cole Ragans (2-3, 5.18 ERA) taking the mound to give the M’s another look at a lefty. After a breakout season in 2024, Ragans has spent most of 2025 injured and will be making his first start since June 5th on Wednesday.

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