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.
