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Seattle Mariners second baseman Leo Rivas (76) celebrates after hitting a walk-off two-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during during the thirteenth inning at T-Mobile Park. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Mariners Maintain AL Wild Card Berth with Dramatic Win over Cardinals

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Matt Postins | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Seattle Mariners had to work overtime to beat the St. Louis Cardinals in 13 innings on Wednesday, 4-2.

Seattle (78-68) and St. Louis played four extra frames, and each scored a run in the 11th inning. Seattle had the bases loaded in that inning with less than two outs but wasn’t able to claim the victory. It finally took a Leo Rivas home run in the 13th inning, just his second of the season, to win the game and set off a wild celebration. The Mariners then had to get on a plane to head to Anaheim for a four-game series that starts on Thursday with the Angels.

Seattle Mariners Magic Number

LEO RIVAS IS TONIGHT'S HERO!!! pic.twitter.com/mUraJXYZwg
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 11, 2025

Entering Wednesday’s action, the Mariners had a magic number of 16. That was a combination of Mariners wins and Texas Rangers losses to claim a playoff berth. With the Mariners’ victory, they trimmed that number to 15. But Seattle didn’t get any closer. Earlier on Wednesday, the Rangers completed a three-game sweep of the National League’s best team, the Milwaukee Brewers.

Plus, the Mariners didn’t gain any ground on the Houston Astros, who are in the league in the AL West. Houston rebounded from an extra-innings loss on Tuesday to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. Houston did cut its magic number by one, but the Astros could have used the help a Mariners loss would have provided. Houston’s magic number is 16 and based on Astros wins and Mariners losses.

All three AL West contenders won, so no one made up ground going into Thursday’s games.

Seattle has only been to the playoffs five times in franchise history and last reached the postseason in 2022 as a wild card team. The Mariners are still in contention to win the AL West, something it hasn’t done since 2001. Seattle has never won an American League pennant.

Seattle Mariners Playoff Race

Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

AL West Race (after Sept. 10)

Houston Astros: 79-67

(Magic number to clinch AL West: 16)

Seattle Mariners: 78-68 (1.0 games behind)

Texas Rangers: 77-70 (2.5 games behind)

Texas Rangers remaining schedule (15 games): Sept. 12-14, at New York Mets; Sept. 15-17 at Houston; Sept. 19-21 vs. Miami; Sept. 23-25, vs. Minnesota; Sept. 26-28, at Cleveland.

Houston Astros Remaining Schedule (16 games): Sept. 11, at Toronto; Sept. 12-14, at Atlanta; Sept. 15-17, vs. Texas; Sept. 19-21, vs. Seattle; Sept. 23-25 at Athletics; Sept. 26-28, at Los Angeles Angels.

Seattle Mariners remaining schedule (16 games): Sept. 11-14, vs. Los Angeles Angels; Sept. 16-18 at Kansas City; Sept. 19-21 at Houston; Sept. 23-25, vs. Colorado; Sept. 26-28, vs. Los Angeles Dodgers.