Tonight we finish the American League Championship Series. Here's what has happened so far (home teams listed first):
Oct. 12: Toronto 1 - 3 Seattle
Oct. 13: Toronto 3 - 10 Seattle
Oct. 15: Seattle 4 - 13 Toronto
Oct. 16: Seattle 2 - 8 Toronto
Oct. 17: Seattle 6 - 2 Toronto
Oct. 19: Toronto 6 - 2 Seattle
Seattle won the two games that were close late -- Game One and Game Five. But Toronto has three easy wins from Games Three, Four, and Six.
Tonight the Mariners will be starting George Kirby (10-8, ERA of 4.21 in 23 starts). In four years with the Mariners, Kirby has a record of 45-34 with an ERA of 3.58 in 112 starts.
The Blue Jays are going with Shane Bieber (4-2, ERA of 3.57 in seven starts). During seven years in Cleveland, Bieber was a strong pitcher, going 62-32 with an ERA of 3.22. But in April 2024, he had to have Tommy John surgery, and he was traded to Toronto while he was recovering. He returned from surgery on August 22 and has been mostly solid ever since.
After years of being dominated by Houston, the American League has seen a long and arduous set of playoffs. The Blue Jays took four games to beat the Yankees. The Mariners needed five games to beat Detroit, and the last game went 15 innings. Now the Blue Jays and Mariners have gone the distance. Obviously, there was no dominant team in the Junior Circuit this year, but whoever wins tonight will have earned their crown.
Mariners' Lineup:
ReplyDelete1. Rodriguez, J., CF
2. Raleigh, C
3. Naylor, J., 1B
4. Polanco, DH
5. Arozarena, LF
6. Suarez, E., 3B
7. Crawford, J., SS
8. Rivas, 2B
9. Robles, RF
Blue Jays' Lineup:
ReplyDelete1. Springer, DH
2. Lukes, LF
3. Guerrero Jr., 1B
4. Kirk, C
5. Varsho, CF
6. Clement, 3B
7. Barger, RF
8. Kiner-Falefa, 2B
9. Gimenez, SS
Meanwhile, on Monday Night Football, we have a rare Number 1 v. Number 2 matchup, with the Lions hosting the Bucs. But I'm going to go with the A.L.C.S., so long as the game is close.
ReplyDeleteI watched about five seconds of the football. The Dolphins have really helped me enjoy the baseball playoffs this year more than I have since at least the Cespedes-for-Lester A's year.
DeleteIn the top of the 1st, Julio Rodriguez leads off the game with a double, and scores on a single by Josh Naylor. After half an inning, it's the Mariners 1, the Blue Jays coming to bat.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the 1st, Springer leads off with a walk. Guerrero, who is playing at an extraordinary level, singles him to second, and Varsho brings him home with a two-out single. After 1, the teams are tied at 1.
ReplyDeleteAfter 2: Toronto 1, Seattle 1
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the third, Rodriguez homers to left center to put the Mariners ahead. After three: Seattle 2, Toronto 1
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the fifth, Cal Raleigh homers to right. The Mariners now lead 3-1.
ReplyDeleteAfter 5: Seattle 3, Toronto 1. The Blue Jays have a 21.4 percent chance of winning the 2025 American League Pennant.
ReplyDeleteGuerrero leads off the bottom of the 6th -- and strikes out after a nine-pitch at bat. That one really hurts Toronto.
ReplyDeleteAfter 6: Seattle 3, Toronto 1. The Blue Jays now have a 17.8 percent chance of victory.
ReplyDeleteThe Lions dominate the Bucs 24-9.
ReplyDeleteHere we go. The Blue Jays start the bottom of the 7th with a walk to Addison Barger and a single from Isiah Kiner-Falefa. So the tying runs are on base and no one is out. Seattle sticks with pitcher Bryan Woo (15-7, 2.94 ERA in 30 starts), who pitched the fifth and sixth innings.
ReplyDeleteGimenez bunts the runners to second and third. One out and the top of the order coming up. That's all for Woo. He will be replaced by Eduard Bazardo (5-0, 2.52 ERA in 73 appearances).
ReplyDeleteSo Bazardo will battle the old Astro, George Springer.
ReplyDeleteBazardo v. Springer (men on 2d and 3d, 1 out)
Pitch 1: Ball inside and low
Pitch 2: SPRINGER CRUSHES A THREE-RUN HOMER TO LEFT FIELD! THE BLUE JAYS LEAD 4-3! NEVER CHALLENGE THE FORMER ASTROS!
George Springer is a 12-year veteran. He was with the Astros from 2014 to 2020, and he's been a Blue Jay since 2021. He's a four-time All-Star. Here are his key stats:
ReplyDeleteLifetime batting average of .266
293 home runs
796 runs batted in
Wins Above Replacement: 42.3
Four-Time All Star.
His numbers are very similar to those for Kirk Gibson: .268 Batting Average, 255 home runs, 870 RBI's.
After 7: Toronto 4, Seattle 3. The Blue Jays now have a 75.1 percent chance of victory.
ReplyDeleteWith one out in the top of the 8th, Eduardo Suarez believes that he has drawn a walk on a 3-2 pitch. But he has not -- the Umpire calls Suarez out. Suarez argues -- but in vain. The M's go down 1-2-3 in the 8th, and the Blue Jays still lead 4-3.
ReplyDeleteThe Mariners send out their closer -- Andres Munoz (3-3, 1.73 ERA in 64 appearances) -- to pitch the bottom of the 8th. Munoz has been lights-out in the playoffs, but this time the first two Blue Jays single, and Toronto has runners on the corners.
ReplyDeleteAddison Barger comes up, and crushes a line drive -- but it goes straight into the glove of first baseman Josh Naylor, who catches the ball and doubles off the runner at first. Two outs and a runner on third.
ReplyDeleteKiner-Falefa grounds out to end the inning. A brave effort from Munoz, who did not have his best stuff. After 8, the Blue Jays lead 4-3. Toronto has an 84.0 percent chance of winning the pennant.
ReplyDeleteJeff Hoffman (9-7, 33 saves, 4.37 ERA in 71 appearances) comes in to close the game for Toronto.
ReplyDeleteRivas leads off the inning by striking out.
ReplyDeleteCanzone, batting for Robles, strikes out. Two out.
ReplyDeleteRodriguez strikes out on a 3-2 pitch and the BLUE JAYS WIN THE PENNANT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1993.
ReplyDeleteWhen the ninth inning set up with Rodriguez as the third hitter and Raleigh on deck, I felt pretty good that the Mariners were going to the World Series. But then Hoffman started throwing, and, in retrospect, it was pretty remarkable that Rodriguez was even able to foul off the second pitch.
DeleteThe 2025 World Series will begin at 7 P.M. Central on Friday, October 24 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. It will feature the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about going on a Ron Fairly bender for the World Series.
ReplyDeleteAccording to baseball-reference.com, the MLB batter most similar to Ron Fairly is Ken Singleton.
ReplyDelete