Welcome to tonight’s League Championship Series game thread. We’ve got two pivotal games on tap, with one capable of concluding tonight. In the American League, the series is deadlocked at 2-2 heading
back to Seattle, while the Dodgers have the chance to complete a sweep at home. It’s tough to be a Brew Crew fan right now.
ALCS Game 5: Toronto Blue Jays at Seattle Mariners, 6:08 PM ET | FS1
Starters: RHP Kevin Gausman (10-11, 3.59 ERA regular season; 1-1, 2.38 ERA playoffs) v. RHP Bryce Miller (4-6, 5.68 ERA regular season; 1-0, 2.61 ERA playoffs)
The ALCS has become a best-of-three for the pennant after the Blue Jays evened the series with consecutive blowout victories at T-Mobile Park. The road teams have dominated thus far, with Toronto outscoring Seattle 21-6 in the two games in the Pacific Northwest, while the Mariners took both games north of the border by a combined 13-4 margin.
The Mariners are trying to become the final MLB franchise to reach a World Series. This marks their first ALCS since their magical 116-win season in 2001. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, haven’t been to the Fall Classic since Joe Carter’s walk-off in 1993. One of these droughts will end within the next three games.
Gausman has been Toronto’s Game 1 starter throughout the playoffs, and he’ll face the Mariners for the second time in five days. In his first outing, he went 5⅔ innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out five. The veteran right-hander leans heavily on his fastball-splitter combination, and it’ll be interesting to see how Seattle adjusts after getting a look at him in Game 1.
Seattle’s offense has gone into a bit of a freeze, but the Mariners’ most dangerous hitter, Cal Raleigh, has a strong track record against Gausman – he’s 8-for-17 (.471) with 4 homers lifetime against the Toronto ace.
As for Seattle, Bryce Miller was brilliant in Game 1, overcoming a leadoff homer to George Springer on his very first pitch to hold the Blue Jays to just one hit the rest of the way through six innings. This will be his first time facing the same team twice in a five-day span since his MiLB days. The 27-year-old had a rocky regular season, but he’s been a revelation in October.
Blue Jays lineup
- George Springer (R) – DH
- Nathan Lukes (L) – LF
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) – 1B
- Alejandro Kirk (R) – C
- Daulton Varsho (L) – CF
- Ernie Clement (R) – 3B
- Addison Barger (L) – RF
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa (R) – 2B
- Andrés Giménez (R) – SS
Seattle Mariners
- Julio Rodríguez (R) – CF
- Cal Raleigh (S) – C
- Jorge Polanco (S) – DH
- Josh Naylor (L) – 1B
- Randy Arozarena (R) – LF
- Eugenio Suárez (R) – 3B
- J.P. Crawford (L) – SS
- Dominic Canzone (L) – RF
- Leo Rivas (S) – 2B
NLCS Game 4: Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Dodgers, 8:38 ET | TBS, truTV, HBO Max
Starters: Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 2.87 ERA as pitcher) v. LHP Jose Quintana (11-7, 3.96 ERA)
The Dodgers stand just one win away from their second consecutive World Series appearance after taking a commanding 3-0 series lead. No team has come back from down 3-0 in the NLCS, and only the 2004 Red Sox have accomplished the feat in any MLB postseason series. Making matters worse for Milwaukee, they’ve lost 10 straight postseason road games dating back to the 2018 NLCS – which they lost to these same Dodgers.
Dodgers pitching has completed silenced the high-powered offense that ranked third in MLB in runs during the regular season, as the Brew Crew has managed just three runs on nine hits through three games with a minuscule .101/.165/.180 slash line.
In perhaps the most 2025 thing imaginable, Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 2.87 ERA in the postseason) will both pitch and hit in the same game as the Dodgers look to clinch. It”s been 12 days since his last mound appearance, when he struck out nine Phillies in his postseason pitching debut. While his bat has been quiet this October (.158 average), his arm could be what sends LA back to the World Series.
Meanwhile, veteran southpaw José Quintana (11-7, 3.96 ERA regular season) gets the ball with Milwaukee”s season on the line. Quintana hasn’t started a game since suffering a calf strain on September 14th and made just one three-inning relief appearance in the NLDS. He’s not stretched out to go deep, so expect the Brewers to lean heavily on their taxed bullpen once again.
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Will the Mariners protect home field and take a 3-2 series lead back to Toronto? Can the Brewers stave off elimination and force a Game 5? Or will we see the Dodgers punch their ticket to defend their championship?
