SEATTLE — Four games into the American League Championship Series between the Blue Jays and Mariners, there's nothing different between the two teams — nothing but a pennant on the deck for another cross-country flight.
With the ALCS tied at two, Seattle and Toronto will head into Friday's Game 5 of the World Series, with Bryce Miller set to face right-hander Kevin Gausman in a best-of-three matchup.
“We'll be back ready to go,” Seattle catcher Carl Rowley said. “Bryce obviously had a great game in the first game, so we've got to have a good game plan tomorrow to stop them and get some results on the board.”
So far, this is a matchup defined by road advantage: The Blue Jays have outscored the Mariners 21-6 in two games at T-Mobile Park. It was a far cry from Game 1 at Rogers Center, where Seattle beat Toronto 13-4.
“We didn’t get too high, we didn’t get too low,” the Blue Jays’ Isiah Keener-Falefa said. “The coaches did a great job in every aspect, not panicking, keeping the mood light. Normally when you're down 2-0, you do PFP.
“We kept our rhythm and the guys were able to slow down the game. We've made huge strides in the last two games. Hopefully we can keep going.”
Toronto regained home-court advantage with a dominant win in Game 4, but first there was another clash in the Pacific Northwest before the scene shifted back to Canada, where a tug-of-war would be decided.
“Obviously we want to get a couple wins in the series at home,” Seattle coach Dan Wilson said. “We weren't able to do that. But we have a chance to bounce back tomorrow and that's our focus moving forward.”
When does the game take place and how to watch it?
Game 4 is live and can be watched on FS1 in the United States.
Canadian Blue Jays fans can tune into the broadcast with Buck Martinez, Dan Shulman and Hazel Mae on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+, or listen to the radio call with Ben Shulman and Chris Leroux on Sportsnet 590 The FAN.
All series are available in the United States on MLB.TV and are subject to verification by participating pay TV providers. Games can also be streamed internationally, except in Canada. Sportsnet is the exclusive English-language broadcaster of every MLB postseason game in Canada, while TVA Sports will cover the entire American League playoffs and World Series in French, and RDS Broadcasting will cover the entire NL postseason in French.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman (10-11, 3.59 ERA) pitched the first game in both the AL Division Series against the Yankees and this ALCS, but the stage is getting bigger. His performances were eerily similar, both 5 2/3 innings, one in which he threw 75 pitches, the other in which he threw 76 pitches, so it's clear the Blue Jays want to preserve Gausman's workload. Gausman is Toronto's ace for a reason, but considering how reliant he is on his fastball and splitter combination, it will be interesting to see how the Mariners handle that combination after seeing him in Game 1.
Sailors: Bryce Miller (1-0 with a 2.61 ERA in the postseason) would line up against Gausman in Game 1, where he hit a first-run home run off George Springer to lock the Blue Jays to a 1-for-19 finish the rest of the way. Miller pitched six solid innings on his first career break, although he will be on a standard break in Game 5. Miller noted, however, that this will be the first time he has faced the same team in five days since playing in the minor leagues, where a standard head-to-head series spans a full week of six games.
What is the starting lineup?
Blue Jays: The Blue Jays will field the same lineup they had in Game 4 after Anthony Santander was removed from the ALCS roster due to injury. Kiner-Falefa felt like a surprising addition at the time, but he hit two hard and has the full trust of head coach John Schneider. Joey Loperfido will take over as the left-handed bat option in the bullpen, with Davis Schneider in right and Myles Straw as the backup runner.
Sailors: Wilson made his second major adjustment in as many days on Friday, moving Randy Arozarena out of the leadoff spot for the first time since July 30, as the hard-charging left fielder continues to struggle with a 6-for-38 (.158) slide this October. He will now pair up with Eugenio Suárez on a back-to-back, who himself went 6-for-37 (.162). This reshuffle moves Julio Rodriguez to the senior level, with the hope that he can continue to bring a spark to the team. He hit three home runs in the postseason, two of them in the first inning. Wilson also moved Dominic Canzone to right field (a win over Victor Robles), Jorge Polanco as designated hitter (Canzone started against right-handers), and switch-hitter Leo Rivas at second base (Polanco had been playing).
“Wanting to mix things up a bit and try to create a little more offense and add a little bit more consistency throughout the lineup,” Wilson said. “That's really where it came from. Sometimes when you make changes like that, it can create some different results.”
How will the bullpen line up after the start?
Blue Jays: The most interesting question is that Trey Yesavage will likely take a short break out of the bullpen, but with the Blue Jays evening the series and no longer fighting for their lives, it might make more sense to have Game 6 at home. Behind Gausman, the Blue Jays should once again have everyone available, including backend Luis Valander, Serantoni Dominguez and Jeff Hoffman. If any length is needed, Chris Bassett and Eric Lauer can provide it.
Sailors: Wilson said he intends to be aggressive in the bullpen in Game 4, considering he didn't turn to his three highest-leverage arms (Andres Munoz, Matt Brash and Gabe Speyer) in Games 2 or 3. That was a big factor in why he selected Speyer over Luis Castillo with just one out in Game 3 on Thursday. Seattle fell behind and couldn't recover, which led to Wilson ultimately using low-leverage options Carlos Vargas and Emerson Hancock. Munoz hasn't played since Game 1, but with the stakes higher, he will almost certainly be available in Game 5. But the biggest question mark is Bryan Woo, who has spent the past two games in the home bullpen and is expected to be available as soon as Friday (more on that below).
Are there any injuries worth noting?
Blue Jays: Bo Bichette has been left off the Blue Jays' ALCS roster as he continues to rehab from a sprained left knee, and his status will remain daily news in Toronto as he works to return in time for a potential World Series. Given that this is also the final year of Bichette's contract in Toronto, the only organization he's ever known, the stakes are extremely high.
Santander was removed from the Blue Jays' ALCS roster before Game 4 with a back injury, so he will no longer be eligible for the World Series and his 2025 season is over.
Sailors: When the series moved to Seattle, the Mariners decided to move Wu (thoracic inflammation) to the bullpen, and given that there were only three games left at most and Wu had not played since his start in Houston on September 19, Seattle might only be able to get him one at-bat. So now the question is where to do it. If Miller struggles early, like Castillo did in Game 4, Wu could be a piggyback option. The Mariners may also be hoping to get Wu to pitch a clean inning, as he hasn't done so since his days at Cal Poly. At Caltech, he started 25 of 31 career games as a reliever, but hasn't done so since 2019-21.
Who is hot and who is not?
Blue Jays: Guerrero may be the hottest hitter in baseball right now. On Thursday, he hit his fifth home run in eight postseason games and officially entered Aaron Judge territory when it comes to how opposing teams need to handle him. Don't sleep on Clement either. The utility player batted .452 and was crucial in expanding the Blue Jays' lineup. Springer seems to be hitting a line drive into left field every time he swings the bat, and Jimenez has now hit a home run in back-to-back games. From one to nine, this lineup looks like it did in the ALDS, which is a very scary thing for the Mariners.
Sailors: After beating the Blue Jays 13-4 in Toronto, the Mariners' bats have gone cold since the series moved to T-Mobile Park, going 13-for-63 (.206) with a .688 OPS and six runs scored. The most obvious trouble is starter Arozarena, who is currently 2-for-15 in the ALCS and has a .158 overall mark in the postseason. Naylor, meanwhile, would continue to be hot, going 6-for-14 in the series with two home runs, including one in the second inning of Game 4 that gave the Mariners an early lead.
Is there anything else fans want to know?
Blue Jays: