Sep 17, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller (50) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Mariners Will Look to Close Out the 2025 Regular Season with a Victory

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Ryan Boman | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 12:12 PM ET

The Seattle Mariners had been like a buzzsaw is September, slashing through opponents as they captured the American League West Division Championship for the first time since 2001. However, their blade has become a little bit dull in their season-ending series against the Dodgers. Los Angeles has taken the first two games of the series, following a 5-3 victory on Saturday.

The M's will look to bounce back with righty Bryce Miller on the hill. He's gone 4-5 on he season, with a 5.53 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 86.1 innings pitched. He will be opposed by a future Hall of Famer, who will be making the final regular-season start of his illustrious career.

Lefthander Clayton Kershaw will take the mound for LA. He's 10-2 with an ERA of 3.52 and 77 K's in 107.1 innings of work. The hallowed hurler will certainly be a sentimental favorite in this one, not only by Dodgers fans but all those who follow Major League Baseball.

Miller has a career mark of 0-0 against Los Angeles, but he has faced them twice and has a 1.93 ERA and nine strikeouts in 9.1 innings. Meanwhile, Kershaw has a perfect record of 4-0 with an ERA of 2.03 and 42 strikeouts in five appearances versus the Mariners in his career

Closing the Curtain on Kershaw

Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Clayton Kershaw announced his retirement from professional baseball on September 18, 2025, stating that this would be his final season. Since debuting with LA in 2008, he established himself as one of the most effective lefthanded pitchers ever. Kershaw has a career mark of 222-96, an ERA of 2.54, and 2,189 strikeouts and 881 walks. He will almost certainly receive an invitation to Cooperstown when it's all said and done.

With the playoff picture still not fully painted yet, both of these division winners will find out later this evening how the brackets will fall into place. The Mariners, having clinched the number two spot in on the AL side of the ledger, will receive a bye to the Divisional Championship Series.