SEATTLE (Interstat) — On the heels of a long-awaited division celebration, the Seattle Mariners showed no signs of a hangover, methodically dispatching the Colorado Rockies 6-2 on Thursday night at a vibrant T-Mobile Park.

A day after clinching the American League West for the first time in 24 years, the Mariners secured their 17th victory in 18 games in front of 40,686 fans. The win, which took a brisk 2 hours and 31 minutes, was buoyed by the news that Cleveland’s loss to Detroit earlier Thursday guaranteed Seattle a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the AL Division Series.

The story of the game was written early by Eugenio Suárez. The veteran third baseman, a cornerstone of the Mariners’ lineup, crushed a hanging slider from Rockies starter Bradley Blalock in the bottom of the second inning for a two-run homer. The blast, which scored Jorge Polanco, was Suárez’s 49th of the season, matching his career high set with Cincinnati in 2019. It gave Seattle a lead it would not relinquish.

Suárez was not finished, adding a run-scoring single in the fifth inning that pushed his career-best RBI total to 117. He finished the night 3-for-4, serving as the offensive catalyst for a team riding a wave of momentum into the postseason.

While Suárez provided the fireworks, Seattle’s pitching staff efficiently quieted a Colorado offense that managed nine hits but struggled to string them together effectively. The tone was set by starter Emerson Hancock, who turned in a dominant four-inning outing. Hancock allowed just two hits and struck out seven, navigating the thin mountain air’s threat with precision. He faced minimal trouble, keeping the Rockies off the scoreboard and handing a lead to the bullpen.

The Mariners broke the game open in the fourth inning against Blalock. After Josh Naylor was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, Suárez singled to put runners on the corners. Naylor then scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by Dominic Canzone. The inning continued as Mitch Garver singled and Leo Rivas walked to load the bases for Randy Arozarena, who delivered a sharp two-run single to center field, extending the lead to 5-0.

Seattle added its final run in the fifth. Naylor led off with a double and was moved to third on a groundout before Suárez’s second RBI of the night brought him home.

The Rockies, who fell to a major league-worst 43-116, scratched across a run in the sixth inning. Blaine Crim doubled and later scored on a single by Ezequiel Tovar. They added another in the ninth when Kyle Karros walked and scored on a two-out single by Hunter Goodman, but it was too little, too late against a locked-in Mariners squad.

Bradley Blalock bore the loss for Colorado, falling to 2-6 on the season. He was charged with five runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 innings. The Seattle bullpen, a strength all season, was stellar in relief of Hancock. Caleb Ferguson earned the win, improving to 5-4, with a scoreless inning of work. Matt Brash and Carlos Vargas combined for three innings of one-run ball to seal the victory.

The win improved Seattle’s record to 90-69 as they prepare for a high-profile weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers to close the regular season. The Rockies, meanwhile, continue a difficult season-ending road trip with three games in San Francisco against the Giants. The result completed a three-game sweep for the Mariners over the Rockies, outscoring Colorado 19-7 in the series and reinforcing their status as a formidable force entering the American League playoffs.