Mariners Top Blue Jays 4-0; Seattle Wins First Playoff Game Since 2001
The Seattle Mariners got the proverbial monkey off their backs and now enter Saturday with a chance to win their first playoff series since 2001.
The Mariners blanked the Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 at the Rogers Centre Friday afternoon, as Seattle hung three runs on Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah in the top of the first inning, and the M's never looked back.
Manoah appeared rattled in his first ever playoff appearance, hitting lead-off man Julio Rodriguez with a pitch to open the game. Ty France hit into a productive out, grounding out softly to first and allowing Rodriguez to advance to second base.
Eugenio Suarez doubled home Rodriguez, and Cal Raleigh hit a two-run homer in the very next at bat, giving the Mariners a 3-0 lead.
Then in the fifth, Manoah would once again run into trouble, hitting Rodriguez for the second time, giving up a line-drive single to France, and allowing Rodriguez to score on a Suarez groundout. The Mariners took a 4-0 lead, and Toronto was not able to find an answer offensively, as newly-acquired and newly-extended ace Luis Castillo shut the Blue Jays down, allowing no runs through 7.1 innings on six hits, striking out five.
The Mariners had not won a playoff game since game three of the American League Championship Series, Oct. 20, 2001 against the Yankees.
The Mariners picked up their first playoff victory in 21 years Friday and have a chance to clinch a trip to the American League Division Series Saturday, with the Blue Jays' playoff lives dangling by a thread.
The Mariners will give the ball to former Blue Jay and reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray. Kevin Gausman, who was signed to replace Ray last winter, will receive the start for the Blue Jays. First pitch for Saturday is at 4:07 p.m. ET.
