Game One of the MLB ALCS featured the Toronto Blue Jays hosting the Seattle Mariners. The home team is the much fresher of the two, playing just four games this postseason to get here. Their opponents are on a much longer road, including coming off a 15-inning, series-clinching win against the Detroit Tigers on Friday. This game did not play out as expected at the Rogers Centre.
The Mariners got three hits in the top of the first, but had no runs to show for it. This was in large part due to picking up an out on a sliding play at home plate. The Blue Jays answered with the first pitch they saw in the bottom half, with DH George Springer’s home run off of starting pitcher Bryce Miller. Toronto mustered two walks, but couldn’t back it up with any more hits.
Blue Jays’ starter Kevin Gausman threw a tidy one-two-three inning, including two strikeouts, but the bats of his allies couldn’t take advantage in the second. Despite a single and an error, the inning ended scoreless. The third was a quick and quiet frame, neither team reaching base. It was the final inning for Toronto right fielder Nathan Lukes, who fouled a ball off his knee earlier in the game. The fourth and fifth innings were hitless, keeping the visitors down 0-1.
The Mariners had two quick outs before catcher Cal Raleigh tied the game with a solo bomb. The next batter reached base, bringing out Blue Jays’ reliever Brendon Little. A wild pitch and a single later, it was quickly 2-1 for Seattle. Toronto reached base in the bottom of the inning, but failed to cash him in.
Blue Jays’ reliever Louis Varland came in for a scoreless inning, including a hit and a strikeout. Mariners’ reliever Gabe Speirer pitched a quiet inning in the bottom half, aided in part by a sliding catch from outfielder Randy Arozarena.
Blue Jays’ reliever Seranthony Dominguez pitched himself into trouble in the top half of the eighth inning. His two walks and a hit in the frame gave up the only run allowed by a Toronto reliever. Seattle’s second baseman Jorge Polanco scored his second RBI single of the game. He joined Raleigh in efforts to carry the offense.
Toronto kept the Mariners scoreless in the top of the ninth, which brought up the Blue Jays’ first basemen Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with his team down two. A groundout and two fly-balls later, Seattle reliever Andres Munoz registered a save to put his team up 1-0 in the best-of-seven series.
The Canadian offense gets another opportunity to entertain the home crowd Monday evening, with hopes of splitting the opening two games. Some predictions had the Blue Jays with the major pitching advantage in Game One, so the Mariners are feeling confident by taking away the home-field advantage early. Starting pitcher Trey Yesavage takes the bump for Toronto in Game Two, trying to replicate his spectacular postseason debut and put the team back on track. Seattle has a dangerous starter lined up, as well. Logan Gilbert had a 3.44 ERA at the end of the regular season and has an even more impressive 1.13 ERA in the postseason thus far.
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