TORONTO — Everything comes down to this. Both clubs can see the finish line, but only one will get there.
An unforgettable American League Championship Series has gone the distance, with the Blue Jays rebounding on Sunday night to force this powerhouse showdown with the Mariners to a seventh and deciding game, set to be played tonight at Rogers Centre.
Who will be the hero? Who will be the goat? You’ll have to tune in to find out.
On the line is an opportunity to face the Dodgers in the World Series. The Blue Jays are hunting for their first pennant since 1993, while the Mariners are looking to reach baseball’s summit for the first time in a franchise history that spans nearly five decades.
Additionally, Toronto hasn’t participated in a Game 7 since the 1985 ALCS against the Royals; this will be Seattle’s first. So one team or the other will notch the franchise’s first Game 7 win. Historically, teams are 30-29 in winner-take-all Game 7s in their home ballpark.
“It’s a do-or-die game. It’s win or go home,” said Toronto’s Addison Barger. “So we understand that.”
“This is a team that has done the little things all season,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “It’s also a team that has bounced back a lot. This is a chance for us to do that again, and we’ll do it tomorrow night in Game 7.”
When is the game and how can I watch it?
First pitch is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET (5:08 p.m. PT) tonight at Rogers Centre and can be seen in the United States on FOX.
Blue Jays fans in Canada can tune in via Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ for the broadcast with Buck Martinez, Dan Shulman and Hazel Mae, or listen to the radio call with Ben Shulman and Chris Leroux on Sportsnet 590 The FAN.
All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games also are available live internationally, although not in Canada. Sportsnet is MLB’s exclusive English language broadcaster in Canada for every Postseason game, while TVA Sports will be covering the entire AL Postseason and the World Series in French and Broadcaster RDS will cover the entire NL Postseason in French.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Mariners: George Kirby (0-1, 7.07 ERA in three playoff starts) is no stranger to this venue, but the last time he pitched here in the postseason was under drastically different context — closing out Game 2 of the 2022 AL Wild Card Series in what remains his only big league relief outing. But he’ll look to rebound from his most recent appearance against these Jays, after surrendering eight earned runs in a runaway 13-4 loss in Game 3 in Seattle. The Mariners have adamantly tried to avoid pitching him on the road this October, as all three of his starts have been at T-Mobile Park. But with no other options, they’re banking on him overcoming his 5.16 regular-season road ERA and keeping the game close, because the bullpen will be just as much in play with their season on the line.
Blue Jays: Shane Bieber (4-2, 3.57 ERA in regular season) is set to make the biggest start of his career in Game 7, which is exactly why the Blue Jays traded for him at the Trade Deadline. Rebounding from a rough outing against the Yankees in the ALDS, Bieber was at his very best in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Mariners on Wednesday, throwing six innings of two-run ball with eight strikeouts. Those two runs came in the first inning, but Bieber went back to his dugout imploring his teammates to “pick me up,” because he knew he had his best stuff. He’ll need it — and the right adjustments — to pitch the Blue Jays to their first World Series in 32 years.
What might the starting lineups look like?
Mariners: Wilson made a notable shakeup ahead of Game 5, moving Randy Arozarena out of the leadoff spot for the first time since July 30. And for a manager who’s valued lineup consistency, he’ll likely turn to the same order that he’s deployed in each of the two games since — starting with Julio Rodríguez out of the leadoff spot. He’s also rolled with Dominic Canzone in right field over Victor Robles — whom the club says is healthy after crashing into the wall on a catch attempt in foul territory in Game 3 — as Robles is 3-for-26 this October.
Blue Jays: Expect the Blue Jays to roll back a similar lineup to Game 6. Manager John Schneider has continued to trust Isiah Kiner-Falefa at second base, which is the only real “decision” on the roster.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Mariners: Just about everyone will be available, including starting pitchers Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo. The only option on the entire 13-man pitching staff who won’t be is Logan Gilbert, who surrendered five runs (four earned) in four-plus innings in his Game 6 start. Woo said that he came out of his first relief appearance in Game 5 feeling fine and “good to go” if needed, though the Mariners would’ve preferred to use him in a closer contest than their 6-2 loss on Sunday night. If and when he and Miller are deployed, they’ll likely be done so for a clean inning rather than with traffic. Those spots will be for Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash, Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo. Unless Kirby is completely lights out, look for it to again be an all-hands-on-deck effort, much like in Seattle’s 15-inning win in ALDS Game 5 vs. Detroit.
Blue Jays: The big variable here is Jeff Hoffman, who threw two innings to close out Game 6. He looked the best he has all season and will be available in Game 7, of course, but Hoffman hasn’t thrown two innings since April. While the Blue Jays may be hesitant to go back to Brendon Little after his rough outing in Game 5, it will be all hands on deck. That includes Max Scherzer and Kevin Gausman, who will be options if anything unexpected happens and the Blue Jays need to look beyond their back-end regulars like Louis Varland and Seranthony Domínguez.
Mariners: Woo is expected to pitch in Game 7 in some capacity, after spending nearly a full month recovering from pectoral inflammation, which forced him to be left off the Mariners’ ALDS roster vs. the Tigers. He made his first appearance of these playoffs in the sixth and seventh innings in Game 5 and surrendered a double to Kirk on his very first pitch, then a go-ahead RBI single to Clement two batters later. Woo also hit Springer on his right kneecap with a 95.6 mph fastball, highlighting some of the struggles he had with arm-side command.
Blue Jays: Bo Bichette was left off the Blue Jays’ ALCS roster as he continues to rehab from his left knee sprain, and his status will remain a daily story in Toronto as he pushes to return in time for a potential World Series. Given that this is also the final year of Bichette’s deal in Toronto, the only organization he has known, the stakes are sky high.
Otherwise, the Blue Jays are healthy. Springer is still dealing with a sore knee after that hit-by-pitch off his kneecap in Game 5, but he was able to play in Game 6.
Who is hot and who is not?
Mariners: It’s hard to say that anybody is “hot” on the heels of Game 6, when the Mariners scored just two runs and stranded six baserunners. That said, they did grind out a lot of at-bats and created consistent traffic — just without cashing in. Naylor crushed his third homer this October in Game 6 that put them on the board, increasing his postseason OPS to .974. And despite an 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, Raleigh still has a 1.028 OPS this October. The Mariners will almost certainly need a crooked-number inning if they are to advance, meaning they’ll need their sluggers to step up as they did in Games 1-2.
Blue Jays: Guerrero might be the hottest hitter in baseball right now. His sixth home run of this postseason alone was enough to tie him with Joe Carter and Jose Bautista for the most postseason home runs all-time in Blue Jays history. This lineup is heating up around Guerrero, too, after a massive offensive performance in the ALDS against the Yankees. Clement is batting .447, Barger launched a home run in Game 6 and Varsho is driving the ball more, a great sign from the sneaky power threat.
Anything else fans might want to know?
