Pinch-Hitter Rivas Delivers Game-Tying Hit on His Birthday

On October 11, 2025, the Seattle Mariners faced a crucial Game 5 of the American League Division Series. In the 7th inning, with the game tied, the Mariners' utility player Leo Rivas, who was celebrating his 28th birthday, stepped up to the plate as a pinch-hitter. Rivas jumped on the second pitch he saw and lined it into left field for a game-tying RBI single, becoming just the third player in postseason history to record a pinch-hit on his birthday.

Earlier in the inning, Mariners manager Dan Wilson had opted to pinch-hit for Mitch Garver, who had driven in the team's first run with a sacrifice fly. The move paid off as Rivas, who had spent eight full seasons and 776 games in the Minor Leagues before getting his callup last year, delivered the crucial hit to keep the Mariners' playoff hopes alive.

The game-tying single capped off an exciting back-and-forth battle between the Mariners and their opponents. With the series now tied at 2-2, the Mariners will look to Rivas and the rest of the team to continue their playoff push in the decisive Game 5.