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COLIN COWHERD — GAME 2 RECAP
“This… THIS is the Seattle I’ve been begging to see.”
“Folks… this is why sports are great.
Game 1? Atlanta looked like the adult in the room. Calm, clean, composed.
Game 2? Seattle walked in with the most mature inning of their entire postseason.
And let me start here:
This is who the Mariners can be.
Not emotional.
Not rattled.
Not the garage band.
This was a Grammy-level performance.”
“Seattle didn’t just win — they announced themselves.”
“You score SEVEN in the second inning?
That’s not momentum.
That’s not luck.
That’s a statement.
It’s you walking into the dinner party saying, ‘Actually, we’re important now.’
And Gaetano Papasogli — let’s just call him what he is:
He’s their engine.
He’s the adult in their room.
Three hits, drives in two, steals a bag, calls a brilliant game behind the plate.
When he’s locked in, Seattle’s whole identity sharpens.”
“Jonathan Ledger? That was Halloween early — scary.”
“Look, I've been on this.
Ledger’s a finesse guy.
He needs comfort.
He needs rhythm.
And T-Mobile Park gave him neither.
Seattle crowd?
LOUD.
Rowdy.
Borderline unfair.
You could see it:
He missed spots, he sped up, he got predictable, and Seattle pounced.
Seven runs in 11 batters — that’s not ‘adjustments,’ that’s overwhelm.”
“Magana is the opposite of Ledger — he thrives on chaos.”
“Every year there’s a guy in October who isn’t pretty, isn’t perfect, but just gives you grown-man innings.
That’s Oscar Magana.
Pitches into the 8th.
107 pitches.
Never flinched.
Atlanta’s a terrific lineup — and he made them look reactive.
He got stronger as the game went on.”
“Atlanta? This is their flaw — they’re great front-runners, not great climbers.”
“Atlanta punches you early?
You’re in trouble.
But when THEY get punched?
They’re not built for uphill baseball.
Look at the numbers:
Six hits
Zero extra-base hits after the first inning
No sustained rallies
No emotional reply to Seattle’s haymaker
I said this before the series:
When Atlanta trails, they go into this ‘hero swing’ mode.
Everyone tries to win the game with one swing.
That’s not October baseball.”
“Seattle ran the bases like a track team, not a baseball team.”
“This is important.
Seattle stole bases, went first-to-third, hit sac flies, executed situational baseball.
THIS — not the home runs, not the noise — THIS is what wins in October.”
“After two games, the series hasn’t shifted — it’s been revealed.”
“Here’s the truth about this series:
Atlanta is the more polished team.
Seattle is the more explosive team.
Game 1 was Atlanta’s personality.
Game 2 was Seattle’s.
And here’s the takeaway:
Seattle can win in Atlanta.
They proved today that they don’t need the ballpark’s adrenaline or the chaos to dominate.
They just need to be the smarter version of themselves.”
“My conclusion? Seattle just put the Braves on notice.”
“This wasn’t a cute little bounce-back win.
This was Seattle saying:
‘If you make mistakes, we will bury you.’
They didn’t just tie the series.
They shifted the energy.
And heading into Game 3?
Atlanta suddenly feels a little tight.
Seattle suddenly feels very dangerous.”
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