TORONTO — The Seattle Mariners have never been this close to reaching the World Series.
It still feels distant to pitcher Logan Gilbert.
“We’re still a long ways away,” Gilbert said Saturday, the day after a 6-2 comeback victory in Game 5 that put Seattle one win away from its first American League pennant. “We’re nine long innings away from where we want to be, and I think everybody gets that.”
Whether it takes nine innings or 15, as it did in the AL Division Series clincher, Gilbert and the Mariners will get their shot at the pennant Sunday, taking a 3-2 lead into AL Championship Series Game 6. The winner of the best-of-seven series faces the Los Angeles Dodgers starting Friday.
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“It’s huge,” Gilbert said. “It’s been such a long year. Just to get to this point is amazing. But to be the one to have the ball, you grow up dreaming of moments like this, and you don’t know how many you’ll get over the course of your career. Some guys never get this. So it’s a really big deal.”
Gilbert threw 34 pitches in two scoreless innings of relief in that 15-inning win over Detroit on Oct. 10, then started Game 2 of the ALCS three days later. Staked to a 3-0 lead before he took the mound, Gilbert allowed three runs — two earned — and five hits over three innings as Seattle won 10-3.
This time, the 2024 All-Star will face Toronto on five days’ rest.
“That’s the playoffs and that’s kind of the fun of it, too,” Gilbert said of his irregular schedule last time around. “But we’re kind of creatures of habit, too, so it’s nice being back in the normal routine.”
Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Gilbert’s mental makeup plays a big role in his success.
“Logan is a guy you love to give the ball to,” Wilson said. “He’s that guy that has that focus, that desire to win, and he wants the ball in these situations. He’s ready for tomorrow for sure.”
One loss from elimination, Toronto will counter with rookie Trey Yesavage, who has made two of his five big league starts during this postseason run.
Yesavage set a Blue Jays postseason record by striking out 11 over 5⅓ hitless innings against the New York Yankees in the division series. He allowed five runs and four hits in four innings, taking the loss in ALCS Game 2.
“We were fairly patient when we had to be,” Wilson said of his team’s approach against Yesavage in Game 2. “I think that was a big key for us. When we were able to get pitches that we were able to hit, we were able to do something with them.”
Like Gilbert, Yesavage said he understands just how rare a chance he’s getting by starting Game 6, noting a discussion he had with rotation mate Kevin Gausman.
“This opportunity does not come up very often,” Yesavage said. “I was talking to Gausman the other day and I said, ‘What’s the furthest you’ve made it in the playoffs?’ He said, ‘This is the furthest I’ve gone.’ And he’s been playing this game for a long time. So I’m very blessed to be in this situation.”
Yesavage’s big league experience is limited but impactful.
“He’s pitched in a lot of big games,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He’s pitched in big regular-season games, he’s pitched in big postseason games, and he’s handled himself well. We’ve got all the confidence in the world that he’ll have the right mindset. He’s got to go out and do what he does.”
Schneider said he hopes to have designated hitter George Springer available Sunday. Springer was hit on the right kneecap by a 95.6 mph pitch from Bryan Woo in the seventh inning Friday and had to leave the game.
“Feeling a lot better than he did yesterday,” Schneider said of his leadoff batter.
The 36-year-old Springer, a four-time All-Star, is hitting .256 with three home runs and five doubles this postseason. His 22 career playoff homers are tied with Bernie Williams for fourth most in baseball history.
Wilson said Woo was experiencing minor soreness after pitching two innings Friday, his first appearance in almost a month. Woo had been sidelined because of pectoral inflammation.
“Getting him in the game was big, getting him out there and comfortable,” Wilson said. “He feels good today. Obviously, a little bit of soreness where you would expect it. But again, this is an exciting time of year, and I would expect him to be ready to go going forward here out of the bullpen.”
