Andres Munoz breaks down the mindset amid Seattle’s offensive explosion

Trailing 2-1 in Game 5 of the ALCS, the Seattle Mariners gathered together. Eugenio Suarez’s Grand Slam capped a wild five-run inning that put Seattle up 6-2 entering the ninth. While it wasn’t a save situation, a Game 5 win would likely be the biggest win in franchise history. The Mariners are the only team in baseball that has never reached the World Series. In fact, Seattle has never won a three game championship series.

Manager Dan Wilson wasn’t taking any chances. Andres Munoz was brought in to secure the historic win. And the All-Star closer went 1-2-3 in the ninth inning, giving the Mariners a 3-2 ALCS lead.

After the win, with the big crowd at T-Mobile Park in celebration mode, Munoz tried to describe the moment. “It’s great, the energy these fans bring here is great. I always say the same thing, we’re playing for them. We just want to make the city proud and we’re going to continue to do that,” Munoz told MLB Network’s John Morosi.

Andres Munoz sealed the victory for the Mariners in Game 5

The Blue Jays had the Mariners on the ropes in the ALCS after back-to-back blowout wins. Toronto was on the verge of winning three straight in Seattle when the Mariners fought back.

Cal Raleigh equalized with a solo home run in the eighth inning. Four batters later, Suarez opened the game with a grand slam.

The Mariners recognized the importance of the win on Friday, when the series returned to Toronto for Game 6. So the team had Munoz warming up in the bottom of the eighth. The veteran reliever will pitch the ninth inning with or without a lead.

But the Mariners suddenly took a 6-2 lead after a five-run outburst. “It was weird for me,” Munoz said of warming up during the team’s offensive explosion. “The pitching coach did a really good job with me, trying to calm me down. … We did really well and got a good result.”

Munoz made his second consecutive All-Star Game in 2025 with another stellar season. And he continued to dominate in the playoffs. The six-year righty has not allowed a hit in 7.1 scoreless innings in the postseason. On Friday, he helped the Mariners come within one win of the World Series.

“Obviously I was nervous, but as always, I tried to give my best in every match. I did that today and thank God we won.”