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Blue Jays push ALCS to Game 7 with win over Mariners
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) hits a single and breaks his bat in the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners during game six of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

MLB playoff takeaways: Blue Jays push ALCS to Game 7

The Toronto Blue Jays reestablished their home-field advantage on Sunday night, posting a 6-2 win over the Seattle Mariners, a victory that extended this year's ALCS to seven games.

For the Blue Jays, the recipe was simple on Sunday. Get a solid start from rookie Trey Yesavage and combine it with timely hitting and defense to force a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday night.

Yesavage struck out seven over 5.2 innings, giving up six hits and two earned runs. The 22-year-old right-hander struck out the side in the second inning.

While Yesavage was making an impact on the mound, he was getting support from Addison Barger, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Among his hits were an RBI single that opened the scoring in the second inning and followed that by blasting a two-run homer in the third.

Game 7 is set for Toronto on Monday night with first pitch slated for 8:08 p.m. Eastern time. If Seattle wins, the Mariners will meet the Los Angeles Dodgers in Southern California for World Series Game 1 on Friday night. If Toronto wins, the Dodgers will travel north of the border for Friday's World Series Game 1.

So what did we see and learn in ALCS Game 6?

Seattle starters continue to be an issue

Through the first four games of the ALCS, the Mariners' rotation had posted an 8.04 ERA. That lowered below 7.00 thanks to Bryce Miller's one run over 4.0 innings in Game 5.

Seattle starter Logan Gilbert allowed five hits and two earned runs over 3.0 innings in a Game 2 start, working out of trouble when needed as Seattle went on to post a 10-3 win in Toronto. On Sunday, however, Gilbert couldn't avoid the big hit as the Blue Jays tagged him for five runs (four earned) and seven hits over 4.0 innings. Included in those seven hits were a pair of home runs and a triple, with Vladimir Guerrero's fifth-inning home run bringing Gilbert's night to a close.

While those numbers weren't great, they certainly could have been worse had it not been for a sequence in the second inning.

Mariners escaped a bigger Blue Jays inning early

Yes, it could have been worse.

Already holding a 2-0 lead thanks to RBI singles earlier in the frame from Barger and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Toronto had a chance to blow the game open in the second inning. However, with the bases loaded and one out, Gilbert made some of his best pitches in a three-pitch strikeout of Nathan Lukes, and then relied on his defense to get him out of the inning.

The stop by Suarez on the 1-0 smash from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. slowed Toronto's early momentum inside Rogers Centre and likely changed the complexion of the game as well. At least one run would have scored, and potentially two, plus Gilbert would need more pitches to get out of the frame.

Blue Jays escaped danger often thanks to the double play

While the Blue Jays built the early lead, Seattle had its chances to rally. However, two big double plays forced by Yesavage's pitches wiped out those opportunities.

Seattle had the bases loaded in both the third and fourth innings with one out in each frame. Needing a sacrifice fly or something in the air to get the Mariners on the board, Seattle's Cal Raleigh and J.P. Crawford each hit into double plays to snuff the potential rally.

A double play also ended the fifth inning for the Mariners, marking three straight frames the twin killing brought a quick end to Seattle's offensive charge. It was just the fifth time in MLB postseason history that a team had hit into three inning-ending double plays.

Kevin Henry

A member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), Kevin Henry has been covering MLB and MiLB for nearly two decades. Those assignments have included All-Star Games and the MLB postseason, including the World Series. Based in the Denver area, Kevin calls Coors Field his home base, but travels throughout North America during the season to discover the best stories possible

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