And now, the Seattle Mariners wait. After a frenetic, epic finish to the regular season that saw the Mariners chase down the AL West Division title for their first divisional crown since 2001, they aren't playing in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, meanwhile, took NLCS Game 1 over the Milwaukee Brewers thanks to a Freddie Freeman home run and a lights-out performance from Blake Snell. The Dodgers bullpen continues to be a dangerous weak spot, but they were enough Monday night.

At last! Super-fans of 1977 expansion have been waiting for this LCS matchup since the early days of the Carter administration. The Blue Jays and Mariners came into existence at the same time, but they have never met with stakes like these in play. The M's beat the Jays in a wild-card round matchup in 2022, but this is different.

The red-hot Seattle Mariners briefly overtook the Houston Astros atop the ... Here's the latest look at the 2025 MLB playoff picture: Entering play Thursday, Sept. 18 Top three reach playoffs Top three reach playoffs