In a thrilling pitching duel that saw both starters carry no-hitters through six innings, the Seattle Mariners emerged victorious with a dramatic 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. Mitch Garver played hero with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, propelling the Mariners to a thrilling victory on Monday night.
The game remained scoreless until the seventh inning when the Braves broke the deadlock. Ronald Acuna Jr. kickstarted Atlanta’s offense with an infield single, stole second and third base, and subsequently scored on Ozzie Albies’ double to right field.
Both starting pitchers delivered exceptional performances, with Max Fried pitching six hitless innings for the Braves and Bryce Miller allowing just one run on two hits while striking out 10 over seven innings for the Mariners.
The Mariners’ heroics came in the bottom of the ninth when Jorge Polanco led off with a single, setting the stage for Mitch Garver’s game-winning blast off A.J. Minter’s 3-2 cutter, estimated at 412 feet. This clutch hit sealed a remarkable comeback victory for Seattle, highlighting Garver’s resilience and the Mariners’ determination.
Cubs Rally Past Mets Behind Morel’s Late Heroics
The Chicago Cubs rallied late to secure a 3-1 victory over the New York Mets in the opener of their three-game series. After being no-hit by Luis Severino into the eighth inning, the Cubs mounted a comeback highlighted by Christopher Morel’s tiebreaking two-run homer in the top of the ninth.
Mike Tauchman ignited the Cubs’ rally with a double in the ninth inning, followed by Morel’s decisive blast into the left field seats off Edwin Diaz. Mark Leiter Jr. and Hector Neris closed out the game for Chicago, securing the victory after surrendering an early lead to the Mets.
Despite an impressive outing by Severino, who held the Cubs hitless through seven innings, the Mets faltered late in the game. Brandon Nimmo’s leadoff homer and Nick Madrigal’s run-scoring forceout in the eighth were not enough to withstand the Cubs’ late surge.
Thunder Sweep Pelicans, Advance to Semifinals
In a dominating performance, the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a first-round playoff sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans with a 97-89 victory. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams each contributed 24 points, leading the Thunder to a convincing win and securing their spot in the Western Conference semifinals.
Williams played a critical role in a pivotal 10-0 fourth-quarter run that sealed the Pelicans’ fate. Despite the Pelicans’ efforts, which included a solid performance by CJ McCollum with 20 points, they struggled to generate offense throughout the series, failing to score more than 92 points in any game.
The Thunder’s victory sets the stage for an exciting semifinal matchup, as they await the winner between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks. Oklahoma City’s strong performance underscores their potential to contend for a deeper postseason run.
