Mariners clinch bye to ALDS thanks to Guardians' loss

The Seattle Mariners clinched a top-two seed in the American League playoffs and a bye to the division series before taking the field Thursday, thanks to the Detroit Tigers' 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians.

Seattle, which clinched its first division title since 2001 on Wednesday, will open the playoffs at T-Mobile Park on Oct. 4 against a to-be-determined opponent in Game 1 of the ALDS. It will be the first time the Mariners open a playoff series at home since the 2001 ALCS.

At 89-69, the Mariners entered Thursday occupying the AL's No. 2 seed but are just one game behind the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees for the Junior Circuit's best record. Seattle has already lost the tiebreaker against both Toronto and New York.

Detroit's win also snapped an eight-game losing streak, and moved the Tigers back into a tie with Cleveland for first place in the AL Central. The Guardians own the tiebreaker against Detroit.