On marathon day, Mariners take 2 vs. Tigers

SEATTLE -- The Mariners’ proximity to the postseason is so close that it’s only a matter of getting there healthy, which they mostly accomplished after a marathon doubleheader on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park that ended with a 9-6 victory in the nightcap.

Seattle also won the opener, 7-6 -- a 10-inning walk-off victory that featured Luis Torrens becoming the first position player in franchise history to record a pitching win.

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In the finale, the Mariners rode five innings from Justus Sheffield, who was recalled to serve as the 29th man for the twin bill and achieve exactly what he did on a day when manager Scott Servais knew that he’d empty his entire bullpen.

At the plate, the Mariners got two massive home runs from Abraham Toro (who went 2-for-4) and Cal Raleigh (who went 3-for-5). Toro, who was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma earlier Tuesday when the club placed Sam Haggerty on the 10-day injured list, is likely to make Seattle's roster for its American League Wild Card Series against Toronto, given the trickle-down effect from Haggerty’s injury.

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After Tampa Bay’s 6-0 rain-shortened loss in Boston went final earlier in the day, the Mariners locked up the No. 5 seed for the postseason, essentially rendering the outcome of their final two games moot. In that context, they’re just trying to get to the finish line in good shape health-wise.

“We started the day looking for 54 outs, and we actually needed 57, because we took a little longer in the first game,” Servais said. “I can't say enough about our team. I often say, ‘Our guys like to compete, they know how to compete, they're grinders,’ and games like today are the epitome of that.”