Postseason baseball will return to Seattle on Saturday. The Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros continue their ALDS matchup with Game 3 at T-Mobile Park. The Astros won Games 1 and 2 and hold a commanding 2-0 series lead. One more win and Houston will return to the ALCS for the sixth consecutive season.
The last postseason game in Seattle was Game 2 of the 2001 ALCS. The Mariners lost that game, 3-2, to the New York Yankees. Hall of Famer Mike Mussina started for New York, and Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera closed the game out. Yeah, it’s been a while since they played October baseball in the Pacific Northwest.
You can view the full postseason schedule by clicking here, and here’s the 2022 playoff bracket. With all the throat clearing out of the way, let’s get to the reason you’re here.
How to watch
Date: Saturday, Oct. 15 | Time: 4:07 p.m. ET
Location: T-Mobile Park (Seattle, Washington)
TV channel: TBS | Live stream: TBS app
Odds: HOU -110; SEA -110; O/U: 7 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Starting pitchers: RHP George Kirby (8-5, 3.39 ERA) vs. RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (4-2, 2.27 ERA)
Preview
This has been the Yordan Alvarez series. Alvarez clubbed the titanic walk-off three-run home run in Game 1, then the game-winning two-run home run in Game 2. Yordan is going to get his, but Seattle has done a poor job keeping No. 2 hitter Jeremy Peña off base in front of him — Peña has a .444 on-base percentage in the series — and that’s compounding the problem. Kirby labored a bit down the stretch but did close out the Wild Card Series clinching Game 2 win in Toronto last week. The Mariners will give the rookie right-hander the ball with their season on the line.
Prediction
You have to play near flawless baseball to beat the Astros. Anything can happen in a short postseason series, sure, but Houston is so good that I have a hard time picking against them. Kirby vs. McCullers feels like a massive pitching mismatch, nevermind the Alvarez factor. Sorry, Seattle fans.
Pick: Astros 6, Mariners 2