The Toronto Blue Jays are set to face off against the Seattle Mariners in the upcoming American League Championship Series as the Mariners clinched a thrilling Game 5 victory over the Detroit Tigers with a 3-2 win in 15 innings on Friday.
In a tense moment, Jorge Polanco delivered a game-winning single off Tommy Kahnle, scoring J.P. Crawford and breaking the 2-2 tie that had persisted since the seventh inning.
The highly anticipated best-of-seven American League Championship Series kicks off on Sunday with Game 1 in Toronto at 8:03 p.m. ET, airing on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+. Game 2 will be hosted by the Blue Jays on Monday before the series shifts to Seattle on Wednesday.
This series pits the top two seeds in the American League against each other. Toronto, with a stellar 94-68 record, secured the AL East title and finished first in the league, while Seattle’s late-season surge propelled them to the top spot in the AL West at 90-72. Both teams enjoyed byes in the Wild Card round.
Toronto holds a 4-2 advantage over the Mariners this season, including a historical sweep in Seattle in May and a series split at Rogers Centre in April.
Both franchises entered the league in 1977, with the Blue Jays quickly establishing themselves as contenders and claiming World Series titles in the early ’90s. The Mariners, on the other hand, reached the postseason in 1995 and have yet to make a World Series appearance.
Coming off a solid 3-1 series win over the New York team, the Blue Jays will look for key players like Bo Bichette, Max Scherzer, and Chris Bassitt to bolster their roster for the ALCS.
The Mariners, led by the power-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh and supported by all-stars Randy Arozarena and Bryan Woo, are gearing up to challenge the Blue Jays. Raleigh’s 60 home runs and 125 RBIs this season make him a formidable force in their lineup.
While the Blue Jays have enjoyed strong support from fans in British Columbia during regular visits to Seattle, the playoff atmosphere may see a shift with potentially limited ticket availability for out-of-region supporters.
