SEATTLE – Six Mariners relievers took the field in front of a packed house at T-Mobile Park in the first two games of the American League Division Series, taking center stage on the biggest set of the season.
Well, actually, make that seven.
Just before the first pitch of Game 1 on Saturday, the Mariners brought out Seattle SuperSonics legend Gary Payton to give a short speech to pump up the crowd. For Sunday’s Game 2, they brought out someone closer to home: reliever Trent Thornton – who has been out for the season since tearing his left Achilles on the mound on July 31 – to match the energy brought by one of the most beloved and famous stars in Seattle sports history.
So there Thornton was, one knee on his scooter, leg in a boot, mic in one hand and trident in the other. He’s set to stay with the team for the rest of the postseason, hitting the road with the Mariners in Detroit for Games 3 and 4.
“This is probably the most special team I’ve ever been on, from top to bottom, from the front office all the way down,” Thornton said. “It’s just a great group of human beings that play for each other, and it’s genuine. Every single guy is playing for the guy right next to him. So this is really cool.”
Thornton said he practiced his short message “about 700 times” before delivering it to an announced crowd of 47,371 – and his teammates:
“Mariners fans! These guys have had my back all year. Now it’s time to have theirs. Let’s bring the noise, it’s freakin’ go time!”
The 32-year-old Thornton made 33 appearances in a year interrupted by injuries, first appendicitis in May before his season-ending ankle injury in July. Immediately following surgery to repair the latter, the Mariners let the right-hander return home to the East Coast to begin his recovery. But Thornton rejoined the team in time for the final homestand of the regular season, to be there when Seattle clinched both its first postseason appearance since 2022 and its first AL West title since ‘01.
When Seattle won the opening game of its series against Colorado on Sept. 23 to clinch its spot in the postseason, Thornton celebrated on the field with the team before wheeling his scooter in a celebratory lap around the bases in front of the cheering crowd.
“Not going to lie, I was probably more nervous to do that than I get pitching,” Thornton said of his pregame speech after Seattle’s 3-2 win on Sunday night that evened the series at 1-1. “That’s normally not in my repertoire, but they asked me to do it and I was like, ‘You know what, this is probably the one opportunity I’ll have to contribute to the team, even though I can’t go out there and compete on the mound.’ I just wanted to have fun with it and do a good job, fire the boys up.”
