TORONTO – Their winning magic was replaced by costly mistakes. Their opportunities with runners in scoring position were squandered not only by random outs but with three inning-killing, momentum-sapping double plays. The earned optimism from fans following their dramatic success just two days earlier, quickly devolved into a familiar fatalistic rage.
With a chance to advance to the World Series to meet the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mariners slogged their way through a performance that was nowhere near championship worthy in a listless, sloppy 6-2 loss to the Blue Jays.
It was the sort of showing you might expect to see on the final getaway day of a nine-game East Coast road trip in August with a half-full stadium, not in a sold-out Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at the Rogers Centre.
In what was the most important game in franchise history to date, the Mariners received a suboptimal start from Logan Gilbert, committed three errors in the field – something they hadn’t done all season – leading to two unearned runs, got carved up by a rookie pitcher making his sixth MLB start, twice hit into inning-ending double plays with the bases loaded, while also making missteps on the basepaths.
Or as Cal Raleigh deftly surmised: “It’s not what you want.”
For the second time in this historical postseason run, the Mariners had a chance to clinch a series a game early and lost, decisively.
They now face a simple scenario:
Win, and you advance to baseball’s biggest stage while becoming legends in the city of Seattle.
Lose, and this wonderful ride ends in heartbreak while you have the infamy of being one of a handful of teams to take a 2-0 lead and manage to lose a seven-game series.
“This is the stuff you do in your backyard as a kid with whether it’s a parent, a friend, cousin, whoever it is,” said Josh Naylor. “But you imagine those games in the moment, and you just try to have fun with it. Sometimes you’re gonna fail, sometimes you’re gonna succeed. It’s all about just preparing the best you can.”
Since the ALCS increased to a seven-game series in 1985, only three teams have won a Game 7 on the road – the 1985 Royals, the 2004 Red Sox and the 2023 Rangers.
Mitch Garver was on that Rangers squad that drubbed the Astros in Game 7 at then-Minute Maid Park.
“As if every pitch matters more,” he said. “The playoffs are crazy, but Game 7s are wild. You have to set the tone early.”
Garver mentioned Corey Seager hitting a 440-foot homer off Cristian Javier in the second at-bat of the game.
“That set the tone for our team,” Garver said. “I always thought this series was going to come down to seven games cause both teams are just too good.”
Gilbert pitched four innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
His teammates didn’t provide much help defensively in the second inning. Daulton Varsho led off the inning with a single to left center and advanced to second when Julio Rodríguez misplayed the ball. Gilbert looked like he would get an out without the runner advancing when Ernie Clement hit a crisp ground ball to third base. But Eugenio Suárez mishandled the ball for the second error in the inning. Addison Barger followed with a single that scored Varsho from second and allowed Clement to advance from first to third.
That loomed large when the Mariners couldn’t make a play on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s swinging bunt, allowing another run to score to make it 2-0.
The Blue Jays tacked on two more runs after Gilbert recorded two quick outs to start the third inning. Clement tripled off the wall in left field and Addison Barger turned a splitter that hung up in the zone into a laser into the seats in right-center for a two-run homer.
Gilbert actually started the fifth inning and served up a solo homer to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that ended his outing.
Rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage, who was selected in the 2024 draft, held Seattle scoreless for the first five innings, using a funky delivery, a nasty splitter while being aided by three huge double plays.
Josh Naylor picked up the Mariners’ first run off Yesavage, smacking a solo homer to right field with two outs in the sixth. Seattle added another run in the inning as Randy Arozarena singled off Yesavage and later scored from first on Eugenio Suarez’s bloop single to right field off reliever Louis Varland.
Kirby to start Game 7
With a second chance at their first World Series, the Mariners will turn to George Kirby.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson announced Kirby as the starter for Game 7 Sunday night, which will mark his fifth career postseason start – and first on the road.
He does, however, have high-pressure experience in a playoff game in Toronto. As a rookie, Kirby came out of the bullpen in the ninth inning for his first – and only – professional relief appearance to close out the Mariners’ stunning 10-9 comeback victory over the Blue Jays in the 2022 AL Wild Card Series.
Kirby was the choice to start Game 3 of this ALCS in part for this exact scenario: The Mariners wanted him for Game 7, should it come down to that.
And here they are.
In that Game 3 back in Seattle, the Blue Jays roughed up Kirby to the tune of eight earned runs (including three homers) in four innings on Wednesday.
Those eight earned runs tied for the most ever allowed in MLB playoff history by a starting pitcher.