By Lauren Smith

The News Tribune

The Mariners were eliminated from postseason contention Thursday, meaning the longest active playoff drought in professional sports will continue at least another season.

Seattle (25-31) didn’t play, using a scheduled off day to travel to the Bay Area for its final four-game series against Oakland this weekend, but was still knocked out of both the American League wild-card race and the running for the second berth out of the AL West.

The club entered the day with bleak, but still attainable chances at both. The Mariners not only needed to win out in their final four-game set, which begins Friday, but also needed four consecutive losses from either the Blue Jays or the Astros to sneak in.

They didn’t get a loss from either club Thursday.

Toronto locked up the second wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Yankees. Less than two hours later, Houston pummeled the Rangers, 12-4, to eliminate the Mariners from the divisional race.

This is the 19th consecutive season the Mariners have missed the playoffs, extending their unsatisfying claim of the lengthiest active drought in professional North American sports. The club last made the playoffs in 2001 after winning 116 regular season games.

The Mariners also remain the only Major League Baseball club to never reach the World Series, losing in all three of their trips to the ALCS in 1995, 2000 and 2001.