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ESPN will host Friday’s matchup between the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the Wild Card round of the 2022 MLB playoffs. First pitch is set for 4:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It will be a battle of aces on the mound, of course. The Mariners’ Luis Castillo (8-6, 2.99 ERA) will match up against the Blue Jays’ Alek Manoah (16-7, 2.24 ERA).
The Mariners (90-72) are in the postseason for the first time in 21 years. When they last played a playoff game — Oct. 22, 2001 — star rookie center fielder Julio Rodriguez was about 10 months old. The man known as J-Rod is the catalyst at the top of Seattle’s lineup. He totaled 28 homers, 25 steals and a 147 OPS+ in his first year. Eugenio Suarez logged his second consecutive 31-homer campaign, but he raised his OPS by 77 points in the process. Castillo had a solid tuneup for the postseason when he threw six innings of one-run ball with 8 strikeouts on Oct. 1.
The Blue Jays (92-70) were the preseason favorite in the AL East, but they will settle for the top AL Wild Card spot. Although they don’t have a playoff drought comparable to the Mariners’, this is just Toronto’s fourth trip to the postseason since Joe Carter’s World Series-winning home run in 1993. Paced by well-known stars such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and George Springer, the Blue Jays’ offense ranked among the top four in MLB in runs, OPS, wRC+ and wOBA. Manoah had a great sophomore season in the big leagues as he finished third among AL starters in ERA and fourth in innings pitched and WHIP.
Mariners vs. Blue Jays
Pitchers: Luis Castillo vs. Alek Manoah
First pitch: 4:07 p.m. ET
Live stream: WatchESPN, ESPN app
Moneyline odds: Blue Jays -130, Mariners +110
If you aren’t around a TV to check out this MLB matchup, you can stream the game via WatchESPN or the ESPN app. But keep in mind that you need a cable-login subscription. If you don’t have a cable login to access ESPN for a live stream, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream the game.