As memorable season ends with tough ALDS loss, Mariners are left wanting more

It was 21 years in the waiting, and then it became an eternity of frazzled nerves and broken dreams in one afternoon turned night.

It was nail-biting, gut-wrenching, gloriously exciting playoff baseball at its finest — and most excruciating.

It was a taste of what Seattle has been missing. Scratch that — a glorious, sumptuous feast in which every at-bat, every pitch crackled with meaning and tension, and the possibility of a hero’s turn.

As Mariners players shared hugs and fought back tears following their 18-inning, 1-0 loss at T-Mobile Park to Houston that ended their breakthrough season in a mixture of massive frustration and overwhelming pride, they had unanimity on one thing.

This playoff business is addicting. And now that they got a taste of it, they want more. And next time, they plan to make it last longer.

“I think it’s very addicting,” manager Scott Servais said. “I know it is for me. This is what you work so hard for throughout the course of seven seasons. We were starved to get playoff baseball here. We got it here. Now we need to take the next step and look to improve our club in any way we can.

“We’re still behind the Astros. They won the division, and I’ll keep saying it, the World Series is going to go through Houston, and you have to beat them. So we’ve got to get better in certain areas, and I’m certain we will address that this offseason.”

The Mariners broke their 20-season playoff drought in 2022 and won a playoff series against Toronto, both huge achievements upon which to build. But they couldn’t get by those Astros in a three-game sweep of the American League Division Series, despite have huge chances to win every game. On Saturday, for instance, they had 32 at-bats from the ninth through the 17^th innings in which they could have ended the game with one swing. They never did, stranding 10 in the game and going 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

“We feel like we’re right there,” outfielder Mitch Haniger said. “I mean, we played them really well. Unfortunately we lost, and it sucks that it was a sweep. I feel like it could have gone the other way and we could be still playing tomorrow and Monday. But unfortunately we fell short.”

Never before in the history of baseball had a postseason game gone so long — 17 innings — without a run being scored. Only twice had a postseason game gone longer on the clock — six hours and 22 minutes. But those who think a scoreless game is boring didn’t see the one the Mariners played against the Yankees in August, and certainly not this one. It was riveting stuff, even as the frustration kept mounting. The raucous crowd of 47,690, which kept trying to will the Mariners to victory, wanted desperately to erupt but never got the key hit that would have extended the series until Sunday.

“Anytime you go in the dugout in the bottom of an inning chasing one run, you feel like you can end it, so every single inning we’re going in there thinking we were going to end it, but unfortunately it didn’t happen,” first baseman Ty France said.

“I was definitely thinking that we’re going to have another game tomorrow, but it just didn’t happen,” echoed Julio Rodriguez, whose brilliant, sliding catch in the 16^th temporarily saved the game. “It’s sad. It’s sad. We all wanted to be playing in this game tomorrow and then go back to Houston and probably win it all.”

As for that hero’s turn? It was Houston rookie Jeremy Pena, a pest all series, who led off the 18^th with a homer off Penn Murfee, who was working his third inning. The Mariners shut down Yordan Alvarez, who had vanquished them in Houston, especially in a demoralizing Game 1 loss, and dampened the other big bats in the Astros’ lineup. But one swing did them in.

Both teams got miraculous performances from their starting pitcher — George Kirby for the Mariners, Lance McCullers Jr. for the Astros — and a passel of relievers. And yet both teams were also kicking themselves for missed opportunities, squandered rallies and multiple chances to end it.

For the Mariners, the story line as the game progressed was a stark contrast: It was either going to be an all-time classic or a lingering regret.

In the end, it was the latter, but player after player uttered versions of the same phrase: This is just the beginning. Indeed, the Mariners appear set up to be a contender next year and beyond with a young nucleus of stars such as Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Logan Gilbert and Kirby.

But the Mariners will need to beef up their offense to take the next step. The depth of the Astros’ attack is a good benchmark. The Mariners are largely set in their rotation, especially with the acquisition and re-signing of Luis Castillo, and can tweak their strong bullpen. The key to their future will be finding an impact bat or two this offseason to lengthen their batting order — and not just because they were 7 for 60 on Saturday.

“The number of young players that played huge roles for us in this series, it is going to benefit us just immensely going forward,” Servais said. “I talked to the team a little bit after the game, and one thing about this team — and I’ve said it all year long — it is the epitome of team. It’s a brotherhood in that clubhouse, and it is something that’s going to serve us well. … We took a huge step as an organization this season.”

But more steps remain, including the ultimate one, which no longer seems a pipe dream.

“We want to get back here. We will be back here,” Servais said. “There’s no question in my mind we’ve started something that we believe very strongly. I’ve got a great core of young players. We’ve got an ownership group that’s committed to bringing playoff baseball back here year in and year out. And ultimately, to win a World Series.”

Playoff baseball turned out to be just as fun as we all remembered. So fun, that the one endless day of it turned out to be a bittersweet tease, and the best incentive possible to make it a permanent part of October.