After Friday’s epic Game 5, the Seattle Mariners have a 3-2 lead as the ALCS heads back north of the border for Game 6 on Sunday night. The Mariners are just one win away from the World Series, where the Dodgers await, while the Toronto Blue Jays face two must-win home games to earn their way back to the Fall Classic. First pitch for Game 6 is scheduled for just after 8:00 p.m. ET in what we can only hope will be another instant classic in what has been an outstanding series.
The top two seeds in the American League have not disappointed in this series. The Mariners took the first two games at Rogers Centre, before the Blue Jays answered back with wins in Game 3 and Game 4. Game 5 looked to be going Toronto’s way as well until Cal Raleigh homered to tie the game and Eugenio Suarez’s second homer of the day was a game-winning grand slam that carried the Mariners to a 6-2 win and just one win away from the World Series.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Blue Jays are slight home favorites at -127 on the Moneyline, with the run total for the game set at 7.5. Let’s preview this Sunday night Game 6 contest with the help of some odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Mariners at Blue Jays prediction, preview
Game 6’s pitching matchup will most likely be a rematch of Game 2, which the Mariners won, 10-3. Logan Gilbert hasn’t officially been named the starter but is expected to get the ball for the Mariners for his second straight start in Toronto, while the Blue Jays will entrust their season to rookie Trey Yesavage.
Neither starter lasted long in Game 2, with Gilbert going just three innings and giving up three runs (two earned) and Yesavage departing after four frames. The 22-year-old righty took the loss, while Eduard Bazardo earned the win out of the bullpen for Seattle.
Gilbert’s short outing in Game 2 was likely due to the short rest he was on after pitching out of the bullpen in Game 5 against the Tigers. For this game, though, he’ll be on full rest and should be ready to give the Mariners his usual workload. They can also afford to give him a longer leash since they are not in a “win-or-go-home” scenario like the Jays.
One key storyline to monitor leading up to gametime will be the availability of Blue Jays outfielder George Springer. Springer has been one of the Jays’ best hitters and is a proven postseason producer, but he was forced to leave Game 5 after being hit on the knee. He had X-rays, which were negative, but he is still uncertain for Sunday’s game. Given how critical the game is, though, it would be a surprise if he doesn’t give it a go.
After Springer departed, Eugenio Suarez played the hero with his iconic grand slam in the eighth inning:
Suarez had been just 6-for-37 (.162) in the playoffs with one home run before connecting on two homers in the Mariners’ biggest game of the year. The midseason addition of Suarez and Josh Naylor has been crucial to the Mariners late-season push, and both have been important alongside Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez in carrying the team to just one win away from the World Series.
The Blue Jays will look to spoil the party, and they were just a few outs away from getting that Game 5 win themselves before things unraveled. Their offense was outstanding at home most of the season but went strangely quiet in the first two games of the series. They exploded for 21 runs in Game 3 and Game 4, though, so the potential is there for them to score in bunches if they’re at their best.
Mariners at Blue Jays pick, best bet
Best Bet: Over 7.5 runs (-106)
The last four games in this series have all gone over this total. The Mariners have gone over this total in six of their last eight, and the Blue Jays have gone over this total in seven of their nine postseason games. Even with the Blue Jays going to the bullpen early and often, this could be another game with plenty of offensive fireworks from these two prolific offenses.
Strong Lean: Over 2.5 home runs (+105)
Through five games in the series, there have been 18 homers (3.6 per game). In each of the last four games, there have been at least three homers hit, and the Rogers Centre is usually a homer-friendly environment. Both these teams have multiple sluggers capable of doing damage, so I think we’ll get at least three homers again in Game 6.
