Former Little-Used Seattle Mariners Hurler Joins Rare History as Postseason Run Continues
The New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. With the win, New York leads the best-of-seven series 1-0 and is just three wins away from the World Series.
Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton hit home runs in the win while Carlos Rodon threw six brilliant innings, striking out nine.
In the bullpen, Luke Weaver threw 1.2 scoreless innings to secure the save. He struck out four and picked up his fourth save of the potseason, which puts him in a rare group in baseball history.
Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com on social media:
Luke Weaver is the 6th pitcher with 4 saves in his team’s first 5 games of a postseason (saves official since ’69), joining:
2023 Paul Sewald
2016 Cody Allen
2011 Neftalí Feliz
1996 Mark Wohlers
1988 Dennis Eckersley
Luke Weaver is the 6th pitcher with 4 saves in his team’s first 5 games of a postseason (saves official since ’69), joining:
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 15, 2024
2023 Paul Sewald
2016 Cody Allen
2011 Neftalí Feliz
1996 Mark Wohlers
1988 Dennis Eckersley
Weaver's ascent this season has been rather incredible. A former top prospect, Weaver struggled to make a full impact as a starting pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks (2016-2021). He went 23-35 in that time period and then became a reliever in 2022. He had a 6.56 ERA in 2022 and also had a 6.40 ERA in 2023.
He made five appearances for the Seattle Mariners in 2023, going 0-1 with a 6.08 ERA. The Mariners have typically been good at helping unlock relievers (Paul Sewald, Justin Topa, Casey Sadler, Drew Steckenrider), but weren't able to bring this kind of production out of Weaver in the midst of a 2023 playoff chase.
He landed with the Yankees at the end of 2023 and then posted a 7-3 record this season with a 2.89 ERA. He struck out 103 batters in 84.0 innings.
The Yankees and Guardians will play Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Follow Inside the Mariners on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE:
