The Seattle Mariners have never played in a World Series.
In fact, they've only ever played in one ALCS (2001).
Their hopes and dreams of getting to this season's World Series, and even winning it, are still five wins away.
And it's the first win of those pending five that feels the most daunting.
That'll be Friday in Seattle, Game 5 of the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers. And it'll be against the best pitcher in the American League, Tarik Skubal.
In a way, it's sort of like the final boss in a video game. If you want to move on, you must defeat Skubal.
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The Mariners did beat Skubal in Game 2, barely. Jorge Polanco hit two solo home runs off the southpaw, and then Julio Rodriguez delivered the game-winning RBI late against the bullpen.
But whenever Skubal is on the mound, the Tigers have to be considered the favorite. He's that good.
In his Wild Card start against the Cleveland Guardians, Skubal struck out a career-high 14 batters and was hitting 101 miles per hour in the seventh inning. The playoff stage clearly doesn't faze him. Instead, it seems to energize him even more.
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If any lineup is equipped to hit Skubal, it might be the Mariners. Most of their potency is either right-handed or switch-hitting.
But the task of hitting Skubal is never easy. The Mariners might need small ball, or luck, or a pitching masterpiece of their own.
No one asked for easy, though. The Mariners, after all, have never even played in the Fall Classic, and they haven't been to the league championship series in 24 years. To keep those dreams alive, they need to topple Skubal one more time. It's a task worthy of a champion.
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