Blue Jays fans might drown out fans in Seattle, but Mariners keep on winning
If we’re talking about the number of fans in the ballpark, the Blue Jays have had the edge.
If we’re talking about the number of wins on the season, Toronto leads there, too.
Number of All-Stars this year, number of playoff appearances and number of World Series titles — that’s all Jays as well.
But if it’s simply about which team has the other one’s number? That’s 100% Mariners.
The T-Mobile Park atmosphere when the Blue Jays are playing is distinct from any other series. There aren’t just a significant number of fans rooting for the away team — they seem to outnumber Mariners’ supporters by at least 2-to-1. That’s what a look at the crowd or a stroll through the 100-level concourse would suggest, at least.
Advertising
The Mariners’ thoughts?
“I love it,” M’s shortstop J.P. Crawford said. “The energy is incredible when they come to town.”
But more notable than the crowd’s energy is the Mariners’ performance. Saturday’s 9-8 comeback marked the sixth straight time they’ve beaten the Blue Jays at T-Mobile Park and 11th out of the past 13 at home. It was also the ninth time out of 11 Seattle (50-48) has topped Toronto (54-45) overall — with the most prominent victory coming in last year’s wild-card series, when the M’s rallied from seven runs down in Game 2 to oust the Jays from the playoffs.
Moments like that can galvanize fans from the Great White North, who stuffed the T-Mobile Park seats over the past two days. Toronto-born Seattleite Andrew Mackend called the Blue Jay support a “straight-up takeover.”
But like Crawford, Mariners fans didn’t seem to mind the tens of thousands of Canadians — most of whom hail from British Columbia — occupying their stadium.
“It’s a great thing for the city and it helps the economy,” Mariners die-hard Steve Biney said. “We just met some nice people. They’re pretty good until about four or five beers, then they become almost like Americans.”
No doubt that many of the folks trekking down from B.C. enjoy a libation or two. But it doesn’t seem to lead to anything more than an extra few decibels from their larynxes.
Advertising
Cheers for Toronto highlights easily exceeded those of Seattle’s in terms of volume, just as “root root for the BLUE JAYS” drowned out the Mariners fans’ version during the seventh-inning stretch.
But those supporters need all the tiny victories they can get — because their team can’t seem to beat the M’s on the field.
In the series opener Friday, it was the Mariners rallying from a 2-0 deficit with runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to come out with a 3-2 win. Saturday, after homering four times off Cy Young candidate Kevin Gausman, it was the Mariners rising from a 7-4 deficit via five runs in the seventh to pull out the one-run victory.
Both games featured key swings from Blue Jay-turned-Mariner Teoscar Hernandez, who hit a walkoff single Friday and a two-run, go-ahead double Saturday.
What’s it like to silence a crowd that took over the stadium? Hernandez was asked.
“Honestly, this is the first time that I’ve seen more Blue Jays fans than Seattle fans,” Hernandez said. “Of course it’s emotional and exciting.”
Advertising
Probably just the first time he’s noticed, given that he had never participated in this particular T-Mobile Park series as a Mariner before. And though he was reluctant to throw out the word “rivalry” when discussing the two teams, it’s starting to develop that feel — lopsided results and all.
Both squads were part of a fierce wild-card chase last season that ended up pitting them together in the playoffs. Now the Mariners are 3.5 games out of the final wild-card spot, which Toronto currently occupies.
Perhaps that’s why Mariners reliever Paul Sewald delivered a pronounced stare-down to the Blue Jays’ dugout after retiring the side in the ninth Friday. Or why Mariners pitcher Logan Gilbert used the word “rivalry” (he did add “kind of”) when discussing this matchup.
These aren’t a couple of also-rans playing for pride. They are playoff contenders with recent postseason history whose games often turn heads gray if not outright bald.
But the results of late have been skewed one way.
The Mariners haven’t swept a series since they took four in a row from lowly Oakland in May. Getting the sweep Sunday would not only cement their dominance over the Blue Jays, but shoot them back into serious playoff contention.
Toronto fans will surely show up stoked. But the past couple of years suggest they’ll go home saddened.
Source: The Seattle Times
