Recap: Cal Raleigh hits 60th home run, Mariners clinch first AL West title since 2001
By Seattle Times sports staff
Julio Rodriguez, Victor Robles, and Randy Arozarena celebrate Seattle’s AL West title Wednesday at T-Mobile Park, in Seattle. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
This Mariners team is making its own mark on Seattle.
The 2022 M's broke a two-decade playoff drought, but this year feels different, doesn't it?
On Wednesday the Mariners beat the Rockies 9-2 to put an end to a much more significant drought, and they did it in front of a raucous crowd of nearly 43,000 at T-Mobile Park.
After 24 years of falling short of the American League West crown, the Mariners are division champs.
Cal Raleigh got the party started in the first inning with an upper-deck homer and in a surreal, story-book way, he captured his 60th homer in the eighth inning with the crowd chanting M-V-P, M-V-P.
"It's time to party like it's 2001," M's broadcaster Aaron Goldsmith said when the team got its final out. "The Mariners are American League West champions."
The party is on at T-Mobile Park, and the Mariners hope it doesn't stop until October ends.