The American League Championship Series will feature the Toronto Blue Jays against the Seattle Mariners following the Mariners’ 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers in a marathon 15-inning Game 5. This game marked the longest winner-take-all contest in MLB post-season history.
Jorge Polanco’s clutch single off Tommy Kahnle in a full count drove in J.P. Crawford for the decisive run, breaking a deadlock that had lasted since the seventh inning when Seattle tied the game at 2-2.
The ALCS will commence with Game 1 in Toronto on Sunday at 8:03 p.m. ET, followed by Game 2 on Monday before shifting to Seattle for Game 3 on Wednesday. Toronto, the AL East champions with a league-best 94-68 record, will face Seattle, who surged to the top of the AL West with a 90-72 record.
The Blue Jays and the Mariners, both established in 1977, will clash in this series. While Toronto enjoyed early success, winning two World Series in the ’90s, Seattle’s post-season breakthrough came later in 1995. The teams have a history of competitive matchups, with the Mariners sweeping the Jays in a Wild Card Series in 2022.
In the upcoming series, Toronto will rely on strong performances from players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who excelled in the previous series with a .529 batting average and nine RBIs. The Mariners will showcase their power-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh, who led the league with 60 home runs and 125 RBIs.
Both teams possess key players like Bo Bichette for the Blue Jays and Randy Arozarena and Bryan Woo for the Mariners, who could make impacts in the series. The games are expected to draw attention from fans, with the potential for limited ticket availability for out-of-region supporters due to increased demand and pricing.
