CHICAGO _ They have six walk-off wins _ all via home run _ and they have a game where they rallied from a 10-run deficit in the sixth inning to beat the Padres.
Yet, the Mariners' 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday at a packed Wrigley Field might contend with all those other memorable triumphs of the season.
Facing reigning National League Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta and countering with a pitcher that very much isn't a Cy Young contender in Wade Miley, plus coming off a 12-1 drubbing on Friday, the probability of a Mariners' win seemed only better than a winning lotto ticket or a Friday evening commute without traffic.
But Miley outpitched Arrieta, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning and the Mariners rallied from a 1-0 deficit by beating flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman and his array of 100-mph-plus fastballs to improve to 52-50.
"That's one of the better wins we've had all year," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "We've had some good ones _ a few walks, a few come-from-behind wins, but in this environment, against that team, it says a lot about our guys. We keep fighting."
It would have been easy to stop fighting after watching the Cubs take a 1-0 lead on an overturned call at home plate in the bottom of the seventh, shortly after breaking up Miley's no-hitter, but the Mariners answered in the top of the eighth.
Mike Zunino and Shawn O'Malley drew leadoff walks off Arrieta to start the inning to force him out of the game. Pinch-hitter Luis Sardinas successfully sacrificed the runners up a base against Arrieta's replacement, Hector Rondon. Seattle missed a scoring opportunity when Nori Aoki grounded to third base and pinch runner Guillermo Heredia was thrown out at home plate trying to score.
With two outs, Cubs manager Joe Maddon called on the recently acquired Chapman to finish the eighth against left-handed hitting Leonys Martin. After swinging wildly at a first-pitch 100-mph fastball, Martin watched a 101-mph fastball go by for ball. Chapman threw another triple digit fastball and Martin was ready, slashing it into the gap in left-center for a two-run double.
"We had the right guy up there," Servais said. "We had the Cuban against the Cuban. Actually, Leonys has put good swings on velocity all year and he knew that's what he was going to get. I know it's left on left. And we all know Chapman is the guy and rightly so. But it's Major League Baseball. Good hitters vs. good pitching and we won that one."
Martin hadn't faced Chapman in a game since their days growing up in Cuba. So he knows him a little.
"I know a lot," he joked. "I know he throws 105 and nobody throws that in this game today. I knew he'd throw fastballs to me. I was ready for fastballs. After the first swing, I told myself I was trying to do too much. I was trying to have a short swing and think middle of the field."
Martin manufactured a run. He took off for third early with Chapman ignoring him on the mound. Chapman stepped off the rubber and threw high to third base allowing Martin to slide in safely. He later scored on a Chapman wild pitch to make it 3-1.
The eighth-inning rally allowed Miley to get credit for the win. The veteran left-hander had one of his best outings as a Mariner, tossing six no-hit innings before giving up a hit and run in the seventh.
"I always talk about _ you go as far as your starting pitching will take you and Wade Miley was probably as good as he's been all year today," Servais said. "He brought a little different mentality, attitude to the mound today. He was aggressive from the get go. I think he knew what he was up against."
Miley carved up the vaunted Cubs lineup in the first six innings, striking out eight batters. The only runner that reached was Kris Bryant on an error by Kyle Seager at third in the fourth inning. But Miley picked off Bryant at first moments to erase the runner.
"I was just able to locate the fastball early on," Miley said.
He also knew he hadn't allowed a hit.
"I knew what was going on," he said. "I tried not to think about it. But guys in the dugout were getting farther and farther away from me, which I don't like."
The seventh inning wasn't dull. Miley walked Dexter Fowler to start the frame and then left a 2-2 changeup over the plate that Bryant hammered into center to break up the no-hit bid.
"I was trying to expand with a changeup," Miley said. "He's one of the better hitters in the game. I wanted to expand away and try to get the double play. I just left it on the plate."
With runners on first and second and no outs, Ben Zobrist _ the No. 3 hitter _ dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up a base. Then with the Mariners playing the infield in, Javier Baez hit a sharp ground ball to shortstop. Shawn O'Malley fielded the ball and threw home. Mike Zunino, at first, appeared to tag the headfirst sliding Fowler. Home plate umpire Lance Barrett called Fowler out at the plate.
However, a replay review reversed the call and gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead.
Miley came back and struck out Addison Russell. And then got some help from the Cubs and replay. After multiple pickoff attempts to first, Bryant, who was on third, tried to time one out and broke for home with Jason Heyward at the plate. First baseman Adam Lind fired the ball home quickly but Barrett ruled that Bryant had slid under Zunino's tag, calling him safe. Zunino immediately signaled for Servais to ask for a review. It was reviewed and the call was overturned to an out, while Barrett was wrong for a second straight play at the plate.
"They were all very close and they could have gone either way," Servais said. "I actually thought on the first one that Zunino tagged him. It's why you have review. But it is frustrating when you are sitting there knowing the game is in the balance."
With a 3-1 lead, Edwin Diaz worked around leadoff single and a one-out walk to strike out pinch-hitter Anthony Rizzo and Fowler to end the inning.
Seattle tacked on another run in the ninth against Travis Wood, and Steve Cishek worked a drama-free ninth for his 25th save this season.
