A solo home run by Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez put the Mariners ahead of the Blue Jays by a score of 2-1 in the third inning of the critical Game 7 of the American League Championship Series at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on Monday night.
The team that wins Game 7 will move on to the World Series. The team that loses will see its season end.
The Mariners had held an early lead in the first inning, but the Jays quickly answered to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of that same inning.
Toronto slugger George Springer got on base with a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first inning, and made it home via an RBI single from outfielder Daulton Varsho.
But no further Blue Jays runs came in during the first, second or third innings.
A home run from Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez put the Mariners ahead by a score of 2-1 in the top of the third inning. (John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images/Reuters)
Seattle’s initial lead of 1-0 came after the Mariners got a leadoff double from Rodríguez, who later hit the solo homer, in the top of the first inning. He was soon driven by a home by a single from teammate Josh Naylor.
Toronto has fought its way to Game 7
Toronto clawed its way back from an 0-2 deficit in the first two games of the best-of-seven ALCS, eventually tying the series and forcing Game 7 tonight.
Game 7 of the Jays-Mariners ALCS is being played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on Monday. (Prasanjeet Choudhury/CBC)
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Toronto getting a chance to clinch a series victory and path to the World Series — and all in front of a home crowd — is “everything that we play for and everything that our fans deserve.”
Toronto had banked on pitcher Shane Bieber, who won a prior ALCS start for Toronto in Game 3, to put the Jays in a position to win on Monday night.
But Schneider pulled Bieber before the end of the fourth inning. Toronto reliever Louis Varland took over and coaxed a third out to end any further trouble for the moment.
The Mariners turned to George Kirby, to keep Seattle’s own post-season dreams on track.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson says Seattle’s opportunity to claim a World Series berth on Monday is ‘an incredible opportunity’ for his team. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press)
Earlier Monday, Mariners manager Dan Wilson said his team has “an incredible opportunity” in Game 7, and expressed confidence in his team’s ability to perform under the “undeniable” pressure of the potentially season-ending ball game.
“We’ve been in situations, you know, particularly down the stretch in September, where you kind of had to win — you had to win that night,” he said Monday afternoon.
“I think these guys have developed a good strategy with how to deal with that and that’s all part of embracing what’s ahead of us.”
The Mariners made some slight adjustments to their starting lineup for Game 7, moving Naylor to third spot in the batting order and bumping his teammate Jorge Polanco down to the fourth spot.
Another change is outfielder Víctor Robles playing right field for Game 7, in place of Dominic Canzone, who was there the night before.
‘This is what you play for’
Ahead of the game, Toronto’s Springer said he and his teammates are hungry for the challenge of taking on the Mariners in the definitive Game 7.
A baseball passes very close to Blue Jays slugger George Springer during Game 6 of the ALCS. Toronto beat Seattle 6-2 in the Sunday night game at Rogers Centre. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)
“This is what you play for as a player. This is what you want,” he told reporters, a few hours ahead of Monday’s game. “I think everyone’s excited, so I look forward to it.”
Springer, a former World Series champion and MVP, has hit two home runs and scored five runs in the ALCS, but he’s also had the misfortune of being hit in the knee by a fastball, late in Game 5.
He said his focus is what he can do on the field.
“I have a job to do, so I expect to go do it. It doesn’t really matter how I feel,” he said.
The Jays lost the first two games of the ALCS, falling 3-1 to Seattle in Game 1, and then 10-3 in Game 2.
But the Blue Jays’ bats came alive over the next two games and Toronto managed to claw back into contention with a decisive 13-4 win in Game 3, and then an 8-2 victory over Seattle in Game 4.
WATCH | How the Jays got it done in Game 6:
Breaking down the Jays’ Game 6 win against the Mariners
The Jays won Sunday’s game against the Mariners, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. CBC’s Greg Ross breaks down the highlights.
Seattle re-took the series lead with a 6-2 win in Game 5, but Toronto bounced back from that defeat to claim Sunday’s Game 6, also by a score of 6-2.
While Toronto’s bats put enough runs on the board to keep Seattle from getting ahead in Game 6, the Blue Jays also got a good performance from rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage and then solid backup from the bullpen — first from reliever Louis Varland, and then two innings of work from closer Jeff Hoffman — to notch the critical win.
The Blue Jays went to closer Jeff Hoffman to shut the door against the Mariners in Game 6. Hoffman pitched the final two innings for Toronto, racking up four strikeouts and not allowing any runs from Seattle while he was on the mound on Sunday. (John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images/Reuters)
Game 7 winner to face Dodgers
The winner of Monday night’s game will advance to the World Series and face the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers won the National League Championship Series in four straight games, sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers, and, as a result, earning a week’s rest before the start of the World Series.
The Dodgers are the defending World Series champions, and the team has won two of the past five World Series titles (last year and also in 2020, a year that had a COVID-shortened baseball season).
Toronto has not been to the World Series in more than 30 years, with its last appearances in the Fall Classic coming during the Blue Jays’ back-to-back championship runs in 1992 and 1993.
Seattle, on the other hand, has never made it to the World Series.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh reacts after striking out in the eighth inning of Game 6 of the ALCS. (Nick Turchiaro/Imagn Images/Reuters)
