Seattle welcomes back playoffs, M's, try to skip elimination October 14 sharefacebooktwitterredditlink SEATTLE (AP) There was bunting draped off the railings in October and logos painted on the gra s of T-Mobile Park on Friday that were absent for the past two decades when the Seattle Hector Rondon Jersey Mariners were stuck in baseball purgatory, left as a spectator every postseason. Twenty-one years later, playoff baseball is back in the Pacific Northwest. But unle s the hometown team can find some late magic, it may just be a one-day cameo for this year. I cannot wait to step on the field with them, Seattle rookie Julio Rodrguez said on Friday. Rodrguez was le s than a year old the last time Seattle hosted a playoff game, highlighting the pain and longing for fans in these parts who have waited since 2001 to see their ballclub host a playoff game inside their ballpark. Itll finally happen Saturday when the Mariners face Houston in Game 3 of the ALDS in what should be a cauldron of noise and energy. But after a pair of agonizing lo ses to open the series in Houston, the Mariners will be playing for their postseason survival in the best-of-five series. The factor that I dont think is getting talked about enough and I think its going to show up tomorrow on the first inning is when theres 45,000 Mariner fans in the stands pumped and ready to go, and all behind us. Because we certainly need it, Seattle manager Scott Servais said. I talked about it when we clinched, ended the drought, how valuable our fan base has been to this team. This team really, somehow, we get wired, we get going when its loud here.Seattle snapped the longest playoff Evan Gattis Jersey drought in the four major North American sports when it clinched one of the AL wild-card spots on Sept. 30 thanks to Cal Raleighs walk-off home run. And from the moment it became clear Seattle wouldnt host game in the wild-card series, the rallying cry became getting to the ALDS to ensure Mariners fans could once again experience the feel of postseason baseball. Seattles last home playoff game came on Oct. 18, 2001. It was Game 2 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees with the Mariners coming off a record-tying 116-win regular season. Seattle lost 3-2 to the Yankees that day and never got another home game in the series losing to the Yankees in five games. At that time, the Mariners appeared to be a juggernaut with two straight appearances in the ALCS. Seattle went on to win 93 games in each of the next two seasons but neither time was it good enough to reach the playoffs. And then the bottom dropped out of the franchise. Years of angst and anger and lots and lots of losing, leaving an entire Josh Reddick Jersey generation void of seeing postseason baseball. All of which will make Saturday a celebration no matter the circumstances facing the Mariners. Its a day for the fans that made a thing watching last weekends memorable comeback in Game 2 of the wild-card series against Toronto. Or the fans that in the service area of a car dealership watching those final outs against the Blue Jays. Or the ones that at Yordan Alvarezs torment of the Mariners in the first two games of the series, living and dying with each pitch in a way fans in these parts havent in a long time. Even the starting pitcher for Houston trying to end Seattles season on Saturday has appreciation for seeing the Mariners back in the postseason.Moments like these where the fans get to come back out and watch postseason baseball for an organization that hasnt been there in a while I think is really cool, Houston right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. said. Ultimately, it comes back to what happens on the field and if Seattle is to ensure two home games are played this weekend, it must find a way to solve the combo of Jeremy Pena and Alvarez. That job will fall to rookie George Kirby, who starts for the Mariners.While Alvarez has provided the biggest blows, its been the paper cuts of Pea that created those opportunities. It was Peas two-out, two-strike single in Game 1 that set the stage for Alvarezs game-winning homer in the ninth inning. In Game 2, Peas two-out bloop single into shallow center field was the precursor to Alvarezs two-run homer in the sixth inning that gave Houston the lead for good. And for good measure, Pea walked and scored an insurance run in the eighth inning of the 4-2 win. Hes doing his job. So far hes been unfazed by the playoffs or anything, Astros manager Dusty Baker said. Hes a very calm and mature young man. Boy, Im glad that hes getting on in front of Yordan.__ Blank Jersey _More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com Ryan Pressly Jersey /AP_Sports in this topic American League Major League Baseball Seattle Mariners Lance McCullers Jr. Cal Raleigh Yordan Alvarez Seattle Mariners New York Yankees share Ottawa hosts Los Angeles after Giroux's 2-goal game The Ottawa Senators host the Los Angeles Kings after Claude Giroux's two-goal game against the San Jose Sharks in the Senators' 5-2 win 39 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Penguins host the Blue Jackets following Kapanen's hat trick The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets after Kasperi Kapanen's hat trick against the St. Louis Blues in the Penguins' 6-2 win 39 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ducks bring losing streak into game against the Hurricanes The Anaheim Ducks aim to end their six-game losing streak when they play the Carolina Hurricanes 40 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Blackhawks face the Metropolitan Division-leading Devils The Chicago Blackhawks face the top-ranked team in the Metropolitan Division, the New Jersey Devils 40 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Tampa Bay in action against Detroit following overtime victory The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Detroit Red Wings after the Lightning took down the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime 40 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS