Mariners’ postseason run ends after 18-inning duel

SEATTLE — It was worth the agonizingly long wait. The sea of navy and teal stretched 47,690 strong, in tune with every pitch and sending roar after deafening roar throughout a venue that hasn’t experienced anything like this.

Postseason baseball had been played within the walls of T-Mobile Park — 21 years ago — as has been well-chronicled. But even with recency bias, it’d be hard to suggest that it looked like it did Saturday night, sustained through a game that was scoreless until the 18th inning and tied for the longest game in postseason history, with virtually everyone in the house on their feet for all six hours and 22 minutes.

But as has been the case during this tense American League Division Series between teams that had faced each other 21 times entering this packed-house matinee, the Mariners were so excruciatingly and exhaustingly close — but ultimately not quite there. Seattle lost Game 3 of the best-of-five series in an 18-inning 1-0 loss, swept out of the postseason with its run over in a fashion as equally frustrating as it was gut-wrenching.

Given the tense back and forth and incredible run-prevention efforts from both teams with elimination on the line, Saturday’s game was always going to go down as one of the most memorable in franchise history, either an all-time great in which the Mariners outdueled their AL West rivals, or among the most frustrating via a loss for that same reason.

Penn Murfee, the Mariners’ final reliever in the bullpen other than Robbie Ray, surrendered a 415-foot solo homer to Jeremy Peña in a full count to lead off the 18th, then the Mariners went quietly.