Seattle Mariners Aim To Cement Greatness With Series Clinching Game 6 ALCS Triumph
Within minutes on Friday, Seattle fans went from panic to jubilation and a clear path for the Mariners to put an end to the American League Championship Series against the Blue Jays. Game 6 will be played Sunday night in Toronto at 8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1).
Logan Gilbert takes the mound for Seattle against Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage in a pitching rematch of their Game 2 duel. A Mariners win sends them to their first World Series. A loss would force Game 7 on Monday in Toronto.
Game 5 – A Comeback That Will Be Told to a Generation of Mariners’ Fans
The Mariners pulled off one of the most spectacular comebacks in franchise history Friday night, stunning the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 at T-Mobile Park. What looked like another heartbreaking home loss turned into pure magic in the eighth inning.
Cal Raleigh started the magical eighth with one swing of the bat, launching a towering solo homer that teammate Bryan Woo described perfectly: “Oh my god, that ball took forever to get down. I can’t say that I’m surprised anymore, but he just continues to impress and show up in big moments.”
The blast gave the Mariners the spark they desperately needed. Following up his historic 60-homer regular season, Raleigh is batting .333 with four postseason home runs, proving he’s built for October baseball.
After Raleigh tied it up, the floodgates opened for Seattle. Jorge Polanco walked, Josh Naylor drew another free pass, and Randy Arozarena got hit to load the bases. Then Eugenio Suárez stepped up and absolutely demolished a Seranthony Dominguez offering for his second homer of the game, a grand slam that represents the biggest inning in Mariners history
ALCS Notes: Guerrero Jr. Continues Postseason Dominance
Despite the loss, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remains a nightmare for opposing pitchers this October. The Blue Jays superstar is slashing an incredible .457/.524/.971 with five home runs through the playoffs. After going hitless in the first two ALCS games, he channeled his inner Roy Hobbs in Seattle, collecting seven hits in 11 at-bats with five extra-base knocks. Teammate Ernie Clement summed it up perfectly: “He’s a special player, a special talent, an awesome guy to be around. He’s earned every bit of success that he’s having.”
Strikeout Disparity Tells Fascinating Story
The numbers reveal an interesting subplot in this series. Toronto has struck out just 28 times compared to Seattle’s 49 whiffs through five games, continuing their regular season trend of making consistent contact. The Blue Jays posted the lowest strikeout rate in baseball during 2024 and have been even better in the playoffs.
Managerial Decisions Under the Microscope
Both skippers have shown quick trigger fingers with their starting pitchers, and those moves backfired spectacularly in Seattle. Dan Wilson pulled Bryce Miller after just a leadoff single in the fifth inning of Game 5, despite Miller not allowing a run. The decision came back to haunt him when reliever Matt Brash surrendered the inherited runner. Blue Jays manager John Schneider’s choice proved even more costly, leaving closer Jeff Hoffman in the bullpen during the crucial eighth inning while watching Brendon Little and Seranthony Dominguez combine to blow a 2-1 lead.
Injury Concerns Cloud Toronto’s Future
George Springer’s health became a major storyline when the veteran outfielder took a pitch to the right knee in the seventh inning. The impact made an audible thud throughout the ballpark, and despite Springer’s initial attempts to walk it off, he was eventually replaced by pinch-runner Joey Loperfido due to obvious discomfort. At age 35, Springer has enjoyed a career renaissance this season and has been clutch throughout the postseason, including his game-tying RBI double in Game 5. His potential absence for Game 6 would be devastating for Toronto’s championship hopes.
Defense and Fortune Favor Seattle
Sometimes baseball rewards the team that gets the breaks, and Friday belonged entirely to the Mariners. Seattle benefited from a line drive double play to first baseman Naylor, a spectacular leaping catch by Leo Rivas up the middle, another double play on Ernie Clement’s dribbler in front of home plate, and Randy Arozarena’s wall-scraping robbery of Clement in the eighth inning that could have been a game-changing homer. In October, championship teams often need luck on their side, and the baseball gods smiled on Seattle when it mattered most.
