SEATTLE — What just happened?
Two innings from the 2-1 victory that would have put the Blue Jays one win away from their first World Series since 1993, it all imploded in one stunning inning that shook the bones of T-Mobile Park. What just happened?
The Blue Jays’ 6-2 loss on Friday sends them back to Toronto fighting to keep their season alive in the American League Championship Series. Veterans in the clubhouse spoke about their belief in this team, a belief that has been proven right over and over again in this dream season. Ernie Clement, with his easy swagger, said the Blue Jays are right where they want to be. Across the clubhouse, though, the weight of the loss was on Brendon Little’s face.
In the clubhouse, after Mariners fans had spilled into the streets chanting, Little took a few breaths and turned to face the cameras.
“Obviously, it feels terrible,” Little said. “All game, they put us in a position to win, then I came in and really couldn’t have pitched worse.”
Little fielded a few questions, the emotions of the moment still clear in his eyes. His teammates had come over to support him, starter Kevin Gausman included. Little appreciated it, but at the same time, it made it hurt even worse, knowing that Gausman’s 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball were wasted.
“I just went over and talked to [Little] a little bit and told him, ‘You’ve gotten so many big outs for us and you’re going to continue to get big outs for us,’” Gausman said. “It’s a tough pill to swallow, but he’s a great pitcher, and we’ve asked a lot of him this year. He led [the AL] in appearances. Forget about it. Honestly, you can have this flight to think about it, but once we land in Toronto, we need to turn the page to get ready for the next game.”
All of this starts with the decision itself, though. Little tried his best, just as he did 79 times this season for the Blue Jays, and it didn’t work. There’s no time machine to change that. The decision to go to Little over the closer Hoffman or even Domínguez, who has been a dynamite reliever in his postseason career, is what will dominate conversations through Saturday’s off-day in Toronto.
“I wanted to see that part of the [Mariners’] lineup see different guys,” manager John Schneider said after the loss. “We talked about it all series. Little’s been one of our best pitchers in big spots. Tough guy to elevate. Cal’s a really good hitter.
“I get it, man. After that, you got to settle down and throw strikes, too. So that’s been part of Little’s game. So has strikeouts. Again, I trust every single guy on this roster, you know. It’s hard. No one feels worse than Little, no one feels worse than Ser right now, or me.”
This moment captured the decision that keeps managers up at night, whether it’s April or October. Do you play the matchups, which is the complicated route, or play it simple and trust your best guys in the biggest moments?
Little allowed just two homers all year and did not have a pronounced platoon split during the regular season. However, his command has been shaky since the middle of summer: He walked 17 batters in 24 innings after the All-Star break, leading to a 4.88 ERA in the second half. That trend has continued in the postseason, as he entered Friday’s game with a 2.00 WHIP in four playoff appearances.
In the eighth inning of Game 5, Raleigh, Jorge Polanco and Josh Naylor were scheduled up, two switch-hitters and a lefty. Beyond them, waiting in what could have been a ninth inning, were Randy Arozarena and Suárez (both righties). There’s some boom or bust to this Mariners lineup, but it’s talented.
Schneider chose to keep Hoffman in his back pocket for later. He has spoken all year about coming to terms with the great challenge of managing and had to fall back on that in the wake of the loss.
“I think being convicted in a process is important. You make a decision and you leave it behind you. It’s part of baseball. Second-guessing is part of it,” Schneider said.
“Thought about it, for sure. And, again, we’ve relied on every single guy on our roster to get a lot of wins this year. I could have done that, and then you think about who you want in the ninth inning, who do they have coming up? So yeah, we talked about that situation, for sure. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.”
In May, this would be just another ballgame. Everything in October is magnified, though, and nothing attracts debate and outrage like a late-game bullpen decision.
The big decision went wrong, and with the Blue Jays facing elimination in Game 6, there’s no room for anything else to.
