TORONTO, ON — The Seattle Mariners will look to sweep a two-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.
Seattle shut out the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the American League (AL) Wild Card series on Friday afternoon.
The opening Wild Card round is a best-of-three-game series. All three games will be played in Toronto (if necessary).
Toronto has a 92-70 record overall and a 47-34 record in home games. Blue Jays pitchers have a collective 3.88 ERA, which ranks seventh in the AL.
Seattle is 44-37 in road games and 90-72 overall. The Mariners are ninth in MLB play with 197 total home runs, averaging 1.2 per game.
The teams meet Saturday for the ninth time this season. The Mariners are up 6-2 in the season series.
Mariners vs. Blue Jays updates
First inning: With runners at 1st and 2nd, and two outs, Mitch Haniger strikes out to end a scoreless top of the first. Kevin Gausman throws 19 pitches.
Robbie Ray strikes out Blue Jays 1-2-3 to end the first.
Second inning: Jarred Kelenic strikes out to end the top of the first.
Teoscar Hernandez hits a two-run home run off Ray to left-center field.
The Mariners are down 2-0 to end the second.
Third inning:
Toronto extended its lead to 3-0 in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that scored Santiago Espinal.
Fourth inning:
The Mariners went 3-and-out in the top of the fourth inning, and are yet to get a hit off of Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman.
Teoscar Hernandez started off the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run off Robbie Ray, his second of the game, to extend Toronto's lead to 4-0.
Ray was pulled from the game following the home run, with relief pitcher Matt Brash replacing him on the mound.
Brash gets the Mariners out of the inning and keeps the score 4-0 going into the fifth inning.
Fifth inning:
Jarred Kelenic gets the Mariners on the board with a sacrifice fly to score Adam Frazier after Seattle got two hits in a row to begin the inning.
Toronto got another run across the plate in the bottom half of the inning on a passed ball on what looked to be a miscommunication between Paul Sewald and catcher Cal Raleigh.
After the Blue Jays again loaded the bases, Sewald hit Teoscar Hernandez with a pitch to bring another run home. The Mariners now trail 6-1.
A sacrifice fly from Matt Chapman then made the score 7-1 Toronto.
Catcher Danny Jansen then snuck a ground ball down the first-base line to bring home Alejandro Kirk, making it 8-1 Blue Jays.
The Mariners finally get out of the inning when Diego Castillo induces a Santiago Espinal groundout, Blue Jays lead 8-1 after five innings.
Sixth inning:
The Mariners loaded the bases to begin the top half of the inning, followed by Mitch Haniger striking out swinging.
Adam Frazier then popped up to the infield for the second out of the inning.
A wild pitch by Toronto relief pitcher Tim Mayza made the score 8-2. Carlos Santana then connected on a three-run home run to cut the Blue Jays' lead to 8-5.
Dylan Moore struck out swinging to end the inning, and the score remains 8-5 Toronto after six.
Matthew Festa came on to pitch in the bottom of the inning, and went 1-2-3 on the Blue Jays. The score entering the seventh inning is 8-5 with the Blue Jays still ahead.
Seventh inning:
The Mariners fail to get any hits and go 3-and-out in the top of the inning. Matthew Festa appears to be staying in the game to pitch.
Alejandro Kirk leads off the Blue Jays' half of the inning with a base hit past J.P. Crawford.
Penn Murfee enters at pitcher with one out and one runner on first base.
A Danny Jansen single drives in Tesocar Hernandez for the Blue Jays, increasing Toronto's lead to 9-5.
Eighth inning:
Eugenio Suarez starts off the inning with a double down the left-field line.
Cal Raleigh again comes up clutch with a single into left-center field to score Suarez, cutting the Blue Jays' lead to 9-6.
A Mitch Haniger single puts the tying run at the plate as Adam Frazier steps in.
The Blue Jays bring on their closer, Jordan Romano, with no outs and two Mariners runners on.
Frazier loads the bases with a single into left field, with Carlos Santana coming to the plate.
Santana ends up striking out swinging after appearing to hurt himself on the first pitch of the at-bat.
Dylan Moore also strikes out swinging, bringing up J.P. Crawford with two outs and the bases loaded.
A Crawford pop-up led to a collision in the Blue Jays' outfield, and all three Mariners runners scored to tie the game at 9.
Trainers came out on the field to check on shortstop Bo Bichette and outfielder George Springer.
Springer ended up being taken off the field on a cart, and has been replaced in center field by Jackie Bradley Jr.
Julio Rodriguez is the batter for the Mariners, and he is intentionally walked with Crawford on second base.
France will be up with two on and two out and the score tied.
France strikes out swinging and Andres Munoz will enter the game for the Mariners in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Bradley Jr. is struck out by Munoz for the first out.
After Bichette walked and stole second base, Guerrero Jr. grounded out to Crawford for the second out of the inning. Bichette did advance to third base on the groundout.
Kirk ends up grounding out to second base to end the inning, the score remains tied 9-9.
Ninth inning:
Eugenio Suarez begins the top of the ninth inning with a three-pitch strikeout.
Cal Raleigh then doubles into right-center field to put the potential winning run on base.
Mitch Haniger then flies out to Jackie Bradley Jr. in center field.
Adam Frazier then knocks a double into the right-field corner and Raleigh scores to give the Mariners the lead.
J.P. Crawford ends up grounding out to end the inning, and the Mariners will have a chance to close out the game in the bottom half of the inning.
George Kirby is entering the game to pitch for the Mariners, with three outs separating them from a trip to the American League Division Series.
Teoscar Hernandez hits a hard ground ball to shortstop, but Crawford corrals it and throws him out for the first out of the inning.
Matt Chapman draws a walk for the Blue Jays and there is now one runner on with one out against Kirby. Catcher Danny Jansen is up next.
Kirby strikes Jansen out swinging for the second out of the inning. Raimel Tapia will be up to try and keep Toronto alive.
Tapia lines out to Julio Rodriguez in center field and the MAriners win, advancing to the American League Division Series, where they will face the Houston Astros.
Game info
- AL Wild Card Game 2: Mariners (1–0) at Blue Jays (0–1)
- First Pitch: 1:07 pm PT at Rogers Centre
- Starting Pitchers: LH Robbie Ray (12–12, 3.71) vs. RH Kevin Gausman (12–10, 3.35)
- Radio: Seattle Sports (710 AM) and Mariners.com
- TV: ESPN
The Mariners announced its roster for the Wild Card series Friday.
Seattle will have 12 pitchers and 14 position players on its 26-man roster. Pitchers Marco Gonzales and Chris Flexen did not make the cut.
Although the Mariners won't be hosting any of the team's first MLB playoff games since 2001, fans still will have a chance to watch their team from inside T-Mobile Park.
The Mariners will host watch parties for each Wild Card game Friday and Saturday. A potential Game 3 would be on Sunday.
The games will be broadcast on MarinersVision, which the organization said is one of the largest screens in the Northwest.
Tickets are $10 for the public and $5 for season-ticket holders. Open seating will be available on the Main Level and in The 'Pen.
Parking at the Mariners Garage will cost $10, and the team said a portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Mariners Care Foundation.
