By securing the American League’s No. 2 seed , the Seattle Mariners gained plenty of advantages heading into the playoffs.

Two key questions for Mariners in the postseason

Most importantly, the No. 2 seed gives the Mariners a first-round bye that advances them straight to the AL Division Series and protects them from the volatility of the best-of-three wild-card round.

The No. 2 seed also gives the Mariners home-field advantage for the ALDS, which is particularly notable given their success inside the friendly confines of T-Mobile Park. The M’s are 51-29 at home this season, including an MLB-best 26-8 at home since the All-Star break.

And with Game 1 of the ALDS not until Saturday, the Mariners now have the luxury of lining up their starting rotation and giving players some much-need

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