10/17/25

(Seattle, WA) Over the course of two days, the entire feeling surrounding the ALCS had changed. After the Seattle Mariners went into Toronto and took both games to go up 2-0 with a return home on the horizon, it felt like the M’s were destined to roll right into the club’s first World Series in franchise history. The Toronto Blue Jays then flipped the script, winning the first two games in Seattle and evening the series at 2-2 and virtually turning it into a three-game set. Game five become pivotal very quickly as the series was guaranteed to move back to Toronto and whichever team was up 3-2 would have the inside track to the American League pennant.

A rematch of the game one pitching matchup took center stage on Friday night. Kevin Gausman would get the ball for Toronto as their Mr. Reliable looked to put together a strong outing once again but hoped to get through the dreaded 6th inning which has given him problems all postseason. For Seattle, Bryce Miller was the hero in the opener, leading the Mariners to a stunning victory with multiple relievers unavailable and set the tone for the games in Toronto.

Mariners 6, Blue Jays 2 (Game Five, Seattle leads Series 3-2)

A juggling catch by Eugenio Suárez started his big day and helped make a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. double in the 1st irrelevant. Seattle also stranded a double in the 1st as Cal Raleigh couldn’t advance after his two-bagger. In the 2nd, Seattle would strike first. With nobody on and one out, Eugenio Suárez came to the plate still looking to get going in the postseason. He wouldn’t waste any time in this at-bat as Geno jumped on a first pitch fastball and sent it out to left center. It had plenty of distance as Geno had his second homer of the postseason and gave Seattle the early 1-0 lead.

The top of the 3rd had been rough for the M’s in the two games in Seattle and Isiah Kiner-Falefa tried to keep that going with another leadoff double in the inning. Andrés Giménez would smoke one but right at Josh Naylor who turned it into a double play to help Bryce Miller hang a zero in the dreaded inning. Miller got in more trouble in the 4th after Nathan Lukes hit a double to start the frame. Seattle intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and unintentionally walked Alejandro Kirk to load the bases with nobody out. A strikeout to Daulton Varsho kept everyone put with one out before a bizarre play. Ernie Clement hit one off the end of his bat that Cal Raleigh fielded on home plate. He would step on the plate for the out before throwing it down to first for a 2-3 double play to escape the jam with the 1-0 lead still intact.

That lead disappeared in the 5th. A single by Addison Barger led to a questionable move where Dan Wilson pulled his starter and brought in Matt Brash very early. The righty got IKF to flyout to J-Rod in center before Andrés Giménez grounded out to first. With the tying run on third and one out, George Springer clutched up for Toronto once again. The postseason star sent a double to center to drive in Barger and tie the game at 1-1.

For the first time since September 19th, Bryan Woo entered the game to pitch. The All-Star dealt with a pectoral issue which left him unavailable in the final weeks of the regular season and into the postseason. Pitching out of the bullpen, Woo had some rust to knock off as Alejandro Kirk doubled on the first pitch he threw to put the go-ahead run in scoring position with nobody out in the 6th. Two batters later, Ernie Clement sent a base hit to right field. Dominic Canzone’s throw was not good and allowed Kirk to score from second on a single for the first time this season. Toronto had cashed in on their opportunities to take a 2-1 lead.

Outside of a Dominic Canzone fly ball that went foul and missed tying the game by inches, their wasn’t much offensive life for the Seattle Mariners. As they have since the series shifted to Seattle, the M’s struggled to hit with runners on base and watched opportunity after opportunity slip away. As the game got late, Seattle went quiet needing some spark to wake the city back up.

That spark came in the bottom of the 8th. After Randy Arozarena robbed a home run by Ernie Clement in the top of the inning, Brendon Little came on to try to send the game to the 9th with the Jays out in front. He would be unsuccessful. The first man to the plate was the MVP candidate and record breaker in Cal Raleigh. For the first time in the series, Toronto made him hit from the right side of the plate with the lefty Little on the mound. It didn’t pay off as the Big Dumper sent a towering fly ball to left field that just continued to carry over the wall and into Edgar’s Cantina. It was arguably the biggest of Cal’s 63 home runs in 2025 and tied the game at 2-2.

One spark turned into a raging inferno as Little struggled to quiet the crowd back down. Walks to Jorge Polanco and Josh Naylor forced John Schneider to go back to his bullpen and bring in Seranthony Domínguez. Domínguez couldn’t quiet the rally as he hit Randy Arozarena to load the bases with still nobody out and Eugenio Suárez coming to the plate. In a moment that could only rival “The Double” for the greatest moment in Mariners history, Geno came through with his biggest moment of his career. An opposite field fly ball quickly turned from a sacrifice fly to the “Suárez Slam” and sent Seattle into a frenzy. A grand slam that registered on the Richter Scale would turn everything on its head as Geno rounded the bases with his second home run of the game. The game would move to the 9th, but it was Seattle out in front 6-2.

Andrés Muñoz would get a chance to pitch at T-Mobile Park in this series and he was dialed in. He got Isiah Kiner-Falefa to hit a harmless fly ball to Victor Robles in right and then Andrés Giménez to fly out to left. Ernie Clement would send a grounder back up the middle, but J.P. Crawford was there to take care of it thanks to a scoop at first by Josh Naylor. For the first time in franchise history, the Mariners found themselves one win away from the World Series with a 6-2 comeback win for the ages in game five.

Notable Performances

Blue Jays

Mariners

• Eugenio Suárez- 2-3, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, BB
• Cal Raleigh- 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI, R
• Bryce Miller (ND)- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO

What’s Next

For the first time in the history of the franchise, the Seattle Mariners are one win away from going to the World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers await the AL representative after sweeping Milwaukee on Friday night as the M’s and Blue Jays now go back to Toronto for game six on Sunday at 5:03pm in the first of two chances for the Mariners to punch their ticket to the Fall Classic. Seattle is 4-1 in the Rogers Centre this season, but the environment will surely be even more electric with the Jays now facing elimination.

Seattle has yet to announce a starter for Sunday night but it is expected to be Logan Gilbert taking the mound with a chance to send the M’s to their first World Series. Gilbert (1-0, 2.45 ERA) had a quick outing in game two in Toronto, giving up three runs in three innings on short rest but will look to make up for that and then some on Sunday night. For Toronto, they turn to rookie Trey Yesavage (1-1, 4.82 ERA) who was tagged up by Seattle in game two for five runs in four innings with three walks playing a big role in those numbers.

MLB Playoff Scores (Friday Night)

• Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 (Los Angeles wins series 4-0)

MLB Playoff Schedule Sunday

• Seattle Mariners @ Toronto Blue Jays (Game 6, 5:03pm)- TBA vs. Trey Yesavage (1-1, 4.82 ERA)

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