In an epic contest that will go down as one of the greatest postseason games in Major League history, the Mariners defeated the Tigers, 3-2, in 15 innings at T-Mobile Park on Friday to advance to their first American League Championship Series in 24 years. Awaiting them in Toronto are the Blue Jays, who earlier in the week clinched their first trip to the ALCS in nine years by beating the Yankees in four games.
In the National League, the Dodgers beat the Phillies in four games to advance to the NLCS for the second straight year as they look to defend their World Series title. They will find out which team they will face after Saturday’s NLDS Game 5 between the Cubs and Brewers in Milwaukee.
With one of the LCS matchups set, here’s a breakdown of the series between the Mariners and Blue Jays as we prepare for Game 1 on Sunday at Rogers Centre:
Blue Jays (1) vs. Mariners (2)
Schedule
Game 1 (at TOR): Sunday, 8:03 p.m. ET on FOX
Game 2 (at TOR): Monday on FOX/FS1
Game 3 (at SEA): Wednesday on FOX/FS1
Game 4 (at SEA): Thursday on FOX/FS1
Game 5 (at SEA, if necessary): Oct. 17 on FOX/FS1
Game 6 (at TOR, if necessary): Oct. 19 on FOX/FS1
Game 7 (at TOR, if necessary): Oct. 20 on FOX/FS1
Season series: The Blue Jays went 4-2 against the Mariners in the regular season, losing two of three in Toronto in April before sweeping Seattle at T-Mobile Park in May.
Postseason history: In the only playoff meeting between the two sides, the Mariners swept the Blue Jays two games to none in the 2022 AL Wild Card Series, with both games coming at Rogers Centre. Seattle won 4-0 behind 7 1/3 scoreless innings from Luis Castillo in Game 1, then erased an 8-1 deficit to win Game 2.
Keys to the matchup: A captivating contrast in styles. The Mariners do a little bit of everything – they finished third in MLB in home runs and stolen bases, and sixth in the AL in ERA during the regular season. The Blue Jays donâ€t match Seattleâ€s firepower or pitching depth, so they attack in a different way. Toronto led baseball in on-base percentage and had the second-fewest strikeouts. The Jays can wear down an opponent with long at-bats and pressure a defense by putting the ball in play more frequently than anyone else. On the other side, Toronto boasts an elite defense with top-flight gloves such as Andrés Giménez, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Myles Straw, Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk.
Player to watch: Josh Naylor. The well-traveled Seattle first baseman and Mississauga, Ontario native gets to start this series – and perhaps clinch a World Series berth – in his home province. As if the fiery Naylor needs more motivation. He fit in perfectly in Seattle after a deadline trade from the D-backs, notching an .831 OPS and stealing 19 bases in 54 games without being caught. Naylor is a .314 career hitter in Toronto, though with just one home run. He had five hits in 14 at-bats with Arizona during a three-game series at Rogers Centre in June. Naylor owns a career .642 postseason OPS, with nine extra-base hits and 11 RBIs in 99 at-bats.
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