The Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 6-0 on Thursday night at T-Mobile Park, kicking off a vital homestand in a big way.

 

With the win, the M’s are now 58-52 and just 4.5 games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West. Furthermore, they are in sole possession of the third and final wild card spot in the American League, one game ahead of Texas.

Seattle hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2022 season.

The game was mostly a good one for Seattle, who got six shutout innings from George Kirby, the 42nd home run of the year from Cal Raleigh, and a massive blast from Cole Young, however, it was spoiled at the end because of an apparently serious injury to reliever Trent Thornton.

With two outs in the ninth inning, Thornton attempted to cover first base, but he fell, appearing to injure his Achilles tendon.

After the game, Thornton confirmed to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com that he’s fearing the worst.

Achilles injuries have been in the news more recently, given that NBA stars Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum both ruptured their Achilles’ during the NBA playoffs.

Thornton, 31, has appeared in 33 games this season, pitching to a 2-0 record and a 4.68 ERA. He’s been much better of late, as he only gave up five runs in the month of July.

A seven-year veteran of the Toronto Blue Jays and Mariners, he’s 14-19 lifetime with a 4.38 ERA. He is scheduled to be under contract through the 2026 season, but if he’s unable to pitch next year, he could be non-tendered.

The Mariners will play the Rangers again on Friday night at 6:40 p.m. PT.