Seattle Mariners now tied for second in AL wild-card race: Here's what happens next

The Boston Red Sox lost 6-2 to the Baltimore Orioles in a highly unexpected turn of events Thursday night, setting them back half a game to tie with the Seattle Mariners for the second American League wild-card spot.

It's been 20 years since the Mariners have made the playoffs. They currently have the longest active playoff drought in Major League Baseball, but that could all change this weekend. 

Here’s how it looks for the Seattle Mariners right now

The Mariners are tied with the Boston Red Sox for the second American League wild-card spot. The fate of the Mariners is entirely in their own hands. If they can continue to win, they'll see a playoff game. With only three games left in the regular season, the Emerald City and its fans are on pins and needles. This is the closest the Mariners have been to earning a playoff spot since 2001. 

What about Toronto? 

The American League wild-card race is madness right now. The Yankees lead for the top spot, but are only ahead by 2 games. Then come the Mariners and the Red Sox, tied for the second card. The Toronto Blue Jays are right there, too: only one game behind Seattle and Boston. Thursday night, before their loss to the Yankees, they were only a half-game behind.

The Blue Jays play the Orioles on Friday. While it'd be easy to predict that the Blue Jays would dominate, the Orioles beat the Red Sox in an unprecedented way Thursday night. The stats may lean in Toronto's favor, as October baseball rarely follows a script.

When do the Mariners play next?

It all comes down to the last three games this weekend. Seattle plays the Los Angeles Angels at home Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Mariners won their last three-game series against the Angels last weekend when they played in L.A. With a home-field advantage and hopefully a roaring crowd, the Mariners should win their series if not sweep the Angels entirely.

When do the Red Sox play next?

The Red Sox play their last regular-season games against the Washington Nationals this weekend. It’s great for Boston fans — they’re likely to win. The Nationals are third from the bottom in the National League division, with a record of 65 wins and 94 losses. For comparison, Boston’s record is 89 wins and 70 losses. Because the Sox are in the American League and the Nationals are in the National League, these two teams haven’t faced each other this season. It’s hard to predict that Boston will lose.

What to watch tonight?

There are four games on Friday night to keep your eye on. First, the Orioles at the Blue Jays, with first pitch at 4:07 p.m. (PST). The Red Sox at the Nationals begin at the same time, and so do the Rays at the Yankees. Lastly, the Mariners host the Angels at T-Mobile Park at 7:10 p.m. Hopefully, your TV has split-screen capabilities.

How are playoff teams determined? 

Major League Baseball is broken down into two leagues: American and National. From there, each league is further broken down into divisions: East, Central and West. The Mariners are in the American League West division.

To reach the playoffs, teams in each league need to be either the number one seed in their division or earn a wild-card spot. The two teams from each league with the best record outside of the division will earn a wild-card spot. These two teams will play each other in a one-game playoff, an American League Wild Card and a National League Wild Card game.

Once a team has secured a wild-card spot and wins their Wild Card Game, that team goes on to play the number one seed in their division. For example, should the Mariners make it to the American League Wild Card game, they would likely play the New York Yankees (who currently hold the first wild-card spot). Should they beat the Yankees and win the ALWC game, they would then play the Houston Astros, who clinched first place in the American League West Division.

From there, the playoffs continue as expected. The wild-card champ will play in the Divison Series, which includes three other teams: the number one seeds from the East, Central and West divisions. The two winning teams from the Division Series will go on the play each other in the Championship Series. The two teams who win their league’s respective Championship Series will play each other in the World Series.

Where do the other divisions stand right now?

Right now, the Tampa Bay Rays have clinched their playoff spot in the American League East. The Chicago White Sox have also done the same in the Central Division, and the Houston Astros clinched the West. In the National League, the San Francisco Giants dominate the West Division with a record-breaking winning season, with the Atlanta Braves clinching the East and the Central Division going to the Milwaukee Brewers.

While Boston, Seattle and Toronto duke it out for the second wild-card spot, the Yankees continue to hold the first in the American League. In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers are an impressive 14 games ahead, currently taking the top wild-card spot with the St. Louis Cardinals clinching second.

The Seattle Mariners haven’t seen a game past 162 since 2001 when the roster included Edgar Martinez and Ichiro Suzuki. That year, the Mariners tied the all-time record for the winningest season, reaching the same 116 wins as the 1906 Chicago Cubs team. The record hasn’t been topped since. The Mariners, being in first place in the division, went straight to the American League Division Series, and won. They eventually fell to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, who went on to lose the World Series to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

How to get Mariners tickets this weekend

The Mariners kick off their final — and vital — homestand of the season on Friday with Fan Appreciation Weekend. Oktoberfest also falls into the mix on Saturday, with special tickets that include a seat, commemorative stein and free drink.

As of Friday afternoon, tickets to the first game against the Los Angeles Angels were sold out. Approximately 2,000 tickets remain available for Saturday's game and 3,000 remain available for Sunday. T-Mobile Park’s capacity is 47,000.

With more than 40,000 people expected to attend the games this weekend, T-Mobile Park is reminding fans to arrive early and give themselves plenty of time to get into the ballpark. 

Tickets for the remaining games are available at Mariners.com/tickets, at Mariners Team Stores and the T-Mobile Park box office, which opens two-and-a-half hours before first pitch