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Series Set: Blue Jays to Face Mariners in Wild Card Round
The stage is set and the match-up is now known.
The Blue Jays will host the Mariners for a best two-of-three Wild Card series in Toronto beginning on Friday. With Seattle's win and the Rays' loss on Tuesday, the Mariners clinched the fifth seed in the AL playoff picture, ensuring a date with the Jays.
The series will be played on Friday, Saturday, and (if necessary) Sunday. The first two contests will start at 4:07 pm ET at Rogers Centre.
The Mariners won the regular season series 5-2 over the Blue Jays this season, sweeping a four-game July set in Seattle. The Mariners outscored the Jays 26-21 in the seven games.
A strength of the Mariners is a deep and strong rotation, giving Seattle some options for starting pitching in the series, including:
RHP Luis Castillo — 2.99 ERA
LHP Robbie Ray — 3.71 ERA
RHP Logan Gilbert — 3.20 ERA
RHP George Kirby — 3.39 ERA
If Ray were to pitch against the Jays, it would be his first start in Toronto since leaving the Blue Jays in the offseason. The 30-year-old won the AL Cy Young with the Jays in 2021 and signed a five-year, $115 million deal with the Mariners in the winter.
Seattle's offense ranks 19th in baseball in runs scored, featuring young outfielder Julio Rodriguez and veteran slugger Eugenio Suárez. The Mariners' bullpen posted the seventh-best relief ERA in baseball this year (3.35), with Paul Sewald closing out games and Andrés Muñoz locking up the eighth inning. Here's how the Jays match up against the Mariners on offense, pitching, and defensively:
The Blue Jays have yet to set their starters for the series, but it's expected sophomore righty Alek Manoah will have first crack at Seattle. The series begins with Game 1 on Friday at 4:07 pm ET.
