The Mariners took care of business in game one of the ALCS, with Cal Raleigh hitting his regularly scheduled Rogers Center home run and burgeoning postseason hero Jorge Polanco knocking in a go-ahead and insurance
run. Taking game one of this seven game series is a huge boon for the Mariners, especially coming off the 15-inning slog on Friday. Now they set their sights on game two, and will hand the ball to Logan Gilbert who hopes to match his excellent performances in games three and five of the ALDS.
Lineups:
Pitching Matchup:
This will be Logan’s third career playoff start and his fourth appearance. Last time he started was in game three of the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers and held them to just one run on four hits across 6 innings of work. He looked as dominant as ever on the mound and pounded the Tigers into the dirt with sliders and splitters, the Mariners’ MO of the offseason. He’ll be looking to use those and his fastball to get ahead early in the count against this aggressive Blue Jays offense.
Much like the Mariners, Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage leans on his slider and splitter to keep hitters off balance. He throws an average fastball about 45% of the time and then uses either his slider against right handers or his splitter against left handers to get them out. While his fastball is lackluster, his two breaking pitches are very good. Look for the Mariners to ambush the heater tonight. Or to sit back and unload on sliders that take up too much plate.
News:
In case you haven’t heard, George Kirby and Luis Castillo have been announced as the starters for games 3 and 4 respectively. They’ve both pitched very well this postseason and are poised to repeat their performances at home. Should there be a game 5, Bryan Woo would likely start then, allowing him to pitch in front of the T-Mobile Park faithful.
Game Information:
Game Time: 2:03 pm PT
Radio: Seattle Sports (710 AM) and ESPN Radio
TV: FOX with Joe Davis and John Smoltz on the call, with Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci on the field.
Today in Mariners History:
The Mariners won game 3 of the 1995 ALCS against Cleveland, taking a 2-1 series lead. Amanda Lane Cumming wrote about the final win of the 1995 season here a few years ago, and captured the magic like only she can.
