TORONTO — One team is rested, the other running on fumes.
But both are excited, battle-tested and confident as the best-of-seven American League Championship Series opens tonight at Rogers Centre.
The Toronto Blue Jays, who knocked off the New York Yankees in four games in their best-of-five AL Division Series that wrapped up Wednesday, face the visiting Seattle Mariners, who needed 15 innings and nearly five hours to win Game 5 of their ALDS against the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
The Blue Jays have had three full days to reset and refocus on the next challenge to reach the World Series. The Mariners elected to go sleepless in Seattle on Friday to celebrate their marathon victory over the Tigers, then stayed put on the West Coast. The team flew into Toronto late last night for the series opener.
Right-handed pitcher Kevin Gausman has drawn the starting assignment for the Jays, while the Mariners will go with right-hander Bryce Miller. The Mariners used three starting pitchers on Friday to beat the Tigers.
The Jays won four of six meetings with the Mariners during the regular season, losing two of three at home in April, and sweeping a three-game series in mid-May in Seattle. The teams haven’t played each other since.
Seattle is the only big league team to have never hosted the World Series.
Tonight’s first pitch is scheduled for 8:03 p.m. ET.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2025.
The Canadian Press
