Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Dodgers

In an oh-so-close alternate reality, the Mariners’ visit to Dodger Stadium this week would’ve represented a World Series rematch. Seattle, after all, was just eight outs away from reaching that elusive Fall Classic last October, which would’ve opened right here at Chavez Ravine. But with the way that 2026 has unfolded, that soul-sucking Game 7 loss in Toronto in the American League Championship Series feels like forever ago -- particularly in the maddening trajectory that the Mariners have been on for most of the summer. But for at least one night -- in a blow-for-blow, 7-6 win over the two-time defending champs on Tuesday -- they looked much more like their 2025 selves. “When you're playing a really good team, in a good environment, that focus level kind of gets you where we need to be,” said Cal Raleigh, who hit one of the Mariners’ season-high five homers. This one went down to the wire, with Andrés Muñoz stranding Shohei Ohtani on third base with no outs as the tying run and Max Muncy on second base as the winning run with two outs. That came after Ohtani ripped an RBI double to the wall that was coupled with an error from Victor Robles, which followed an infield single from Dalton Rushing that nicked J.P. Crawford’s glove to lead off the ninth. Muncy drew a tense, nine-pitch walk then stole second base, putting this one in peril. But Muñoz then generated a game-winning groundout to Mookie Betts, while topping out at 103 mph and continuing a huge late-summer velocity spike.