2022 MLB Playoffs: Astros end Mariners' postseason run in 18-inning epic

By Jordan Shusterman
FOX Sports MLB Writer

Someone really had to lose that game, huh?

382 minutes. 18 innings. 18 pitchers. 498 pitches. 82 balls in play. 42 strikeouts. 18 hits. 

And just one run.

That run, which came on the 475th pitch of the game, is one Astros and Mariners fans will remember for a long time. If not for that run — a home run, as only it could be — it's quite possible I'd still be sitting on my couch watching position players on the mound trade inexplicable, scoreless innings until commissioner Manfred had to step in and call it a draw or something.

That's what it felt like, anyway.

Instead, rookie Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña decided he'd had enough baseball for the day — or night — by the time he strolled to the plate in the top of the 18th.

For the past half-decade, the Astros have had the Mariners' number through and through. Sure, you could call them division "rivals," but it's hard for a rivalry to carry much weight when the results are so lopsided. 

Plus, with Houston joining the AL West as recently as 2013, there had been essentially zero high-stakes history between these two teams to fuel the fire of any sort of rivalry.

Until now.

While this ALDS will go down as a sweep, this series will unquestionably serve as the jumping-off point for what should be a tremendous rivalry moving forward. At no point during any of the 36 innings played across three games did one team feel in control. The Astros were clearly the better team, and they prevailed because of it, but how these three games unfolded demonstrated the incredible potential of future Mariners/Astros showdowns. 

It's on now.

Furthermore, the Game 3 classic in particular highlighted those who might emerge as the main characters in the next chapter of Mariners vs. Astros. It might not be all about the likes of José Altuve, whose 0-for-16 in this series somehow didn't sink his team (another sign of just how good Houston is). The new wave of Seattle and Houston stars who arrived this year were on full display in Game 3, with Peña the headliner.

After years of dealing with Carlos Correa, the Mariners might've thought there would be something of a transition period before the Astros inserted another tremendously talented player at the shortstop position. Instead, Peña slid into the starting job brilliantly, and his iconic, 18th-inning blast might just be the beginning of his full-blown star turn this October.

Seattle also got a good look at Hunter Brown, another rookie and possibly one of the next great pitchers to come out of Houston's farm system. The 24-year-old was up to 98 mph with two diabolical breaking balls over two scoreless (duh) innings. And the Astros didn't even use him until the 12th! 

On the other side, likely AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodríguez had his moments as well. Although he went 1-for-7 and flew out to center to end the game, J-Rod gave the T-Mobile Park Crowd two of its biggest reasons to cheer in this game. 

First, he hit a rocket double off the left-field wall that came off his bat at 112.1 mph in the eighth — the hardest-hit ball by any player all game — and was just a few feet short of giving Seattle the run it would still be searching for 10 innings later.

Then, in the *checks notes* 16th inning, Rodríguez ran down a liner from Yuli Gurriel in the right-center-field gap and made an outrageous catch to save at least one run.

Also, as frustrating as it was to finish the season with 23 scoreless innings on offense, the way the entire Mariners pitching staff performed in Games 2 and 3 is the biggest reason Seattle competed in this series and will challenge the Astros in the AL West moving forward. 

Most notably, rookies George Kirby and Matt Brash were simply sensational Saturday. After closing out the Blue Jays last week in his first career relief outing, Kirby delivered seven scoreless innings in his first career postseason start with the season on the line. 

Later, Brash entered a huge jam with runners on second and third and one out in the ninth inning, and he promptly K'd the next two batters. Then he threw a scoreless 10th for good measure. It was a remarkable display of confidence and comfort from both of them, and there will be no doubt about their ability to handle pressure-packed situations in the future. 

This series would've stood the test of time no matter who delivered in the biggest moments, but the rookies coming up big on both sides time and again should only make Mariners and Astros fans that much more excited about their matchups for years to come.

Houston now moves on to the ALCS for an AL-record sixth consecutive time and will face either the Guardians or Yankees with a trip to the Fall Classic on the line. As if their past five playoff runs weren't enough to prepare them, the Astros enter the next round with practically another lifetime's worth of postseason experience after three grueling games against Seattle. 

Talented, battle-tested, fearless, resilient and ridiculously good at baseball, the Astros dynasty rolls on, whether you like it or not. 

For the Mariners, the end of the road is painful but promising. After two decades of waiting for a postseason game at home, it's safe to say going scoreless for 18 innings wasn't exactly how the fans would've drawn it up. But GM Jerry Dipoto can now enter the winter with legitimate ambitions of building a World Series contender around the tremendous foundation already in place. 

With five unforgettable October games under their belt, everyone in and around the organization better understands what it will take to get over the hump and can proceed accordingly. 

They'll be back. 

Jordan Shusterman is half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball writer for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @j_shusterman_.