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Updated 18s ago
The Seattle Mariners can advance to their first World Series in franchise history while the Toronto Blue Jays aim to force a Game 7 at home as the 2025 ALCS heads back to Rogers Centre for Game 6.
Follow live for play-by-play updates and real-time expert analysis from The Athletic’s team of MLB writers through the final out and beyond.
Bases loaded, and Cal Raleigh smacks one 100.5 mph. If you’re a Mariners fan, you’d place a hefty bet on that one turning out well for you.
Instead it is an inning-ending double play.
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▶️ Oh man. Cal Raleigh had the chance for the at-bat of his life. Instead, he grounds into a double play on the first pitch he sees. A disaster start to this game for Seattle. Lots of mental mistakes, and a huge missed opportunity. | Bottom 3rd Blue Jays 2, Mariners 0
▶️ Second walk of the inning for Trey Yesavage, this time on Julio Rodriguez, as pitching coach Pete Walker walks to the mound. It is bases loaded one out for Cal Raleigh. Huge moment of Game 6 here. | Top 3rd Blue Jays 2, Mariners 0
Per Inside Edge: Alejandro Kirk attempted 35 back-picks at first base this season, second most among major league catchers. Let it fly, big guy.
This crowd is pretty locked in, releasing a ripping cheer when John Schneider signalled for a challenge in the third. The cheers got even when an initial replay showed on the board, with Leo Rivas trying to slide back to first.
But the boos arrive when the call stays as safe at first. Didn’t look like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was able to slide his glove back in time, though the throw beat Rivas to the base.
Alejandro Kirk is my pick (no one gives me any authority) for AL Gold Glove catcher. And that back pick is just another reason why.
Also, Leo Rivas, you should get ejected if you get back-picked. Unimaginable shame.
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That is some bad baserunning by the Mariners. There should be runners on second and third. But Crawford only got to second base on the long single off the wall. It makes sense avoid getting doubled up, but Crawford could have made it to third. It also didn't look like Rivas was busting it out of the box off the bat.
Once again, it’s Leo Rivas who gets the Mariners cooking. He has only two hits this postseason. The tying single in Game 5 of the ALDS. And that single off the wall to get this rally really moving.
I go back to it being odd that Dominic Canzone is starting over Victor Robles tonight. Trey Yesavage has reverse splits, and Canzone has been ice cold at the plate. That was an extremely lopsided at-bat.
▶️ Another good splitter for Trey Yesavage. Completely fools Dominic Canzone as the ball goes in and out of the zone. It is Yesavage's fifth strikeout tonight. | Top 3rd Blue Jays 2, Mariners 0
▶️: J.P. Crawford shows his patience at the plate, drawing the first Trey Yesavage walk. It is Seattle's first baserunner tonight. | Top 3rd Blue Jays 2, Mariners 0
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Trey Yesavage is going to his fastball less in the first two innings. It was his most-used pitch in his first start this series, which was an ugly one. So far, he's relying more on his slider and splitter, and only thrown his four-seamer six times. The results have been good. Six up and six down.
Just when it looked like Eugenio Suárez’s defensive limitations were being targeted and exposed, he snared one to end the inning.
Below are the pitch counts for the starting pitchers through two innings tonight:
Trey Yesavage: 23
Logan Gilbert: 47
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s blistering ground out to end the 2nd inning had an exit velocity of 116 mph, making it the hardest-hit ball of this ALCS.
In our Game 4 takeaways, friendly Canadian beat writer Mitch Bannon wrote this about the Jays’ lineup depth:
💬: “It’s the kind of thing that distinguishes real World Series contenders.”
He’s right, and we're seeing that depth at play here in the second inning. Another good insight from Mitch: the Jays owned the second-best bottom of the order in the American League this year. Their 6-9 posted a 99 wRC+.
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For the second game in a row, the Jays strand the bases loaded. They scored two in the second inning tonight, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drills a ground ball to end the threat.
Much has been made of Toronto’s bullpen moves in Game 5, but they also went two for 11 with runners in scoring position. Hard to miss those opportunities and still win in October.
▶️ What a play by Eugenio Suárez, who gets the stop at third base off of a liner from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Mariners get out of the inning only giving up two runs. Toronto needed to score more there but is on the board thanks to Seattle's defensive mistakes. | Top 3rd Blue Jays 2, Mariners 0
▶️: Logan Gilbert strikes out Nathan Lukes with the splitter. It sets up an interesting matchup with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Bases loaded and two outs. Here we go. | Bottom 2nd Blue Jays 2, Mariners 0
