There’s nothing in sports better than Game 7 — especially this one.
On Monday night, the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners meet one last time for the decisive matchup of the American League Championship Series — nine more innings to decide who captures the AL pennant and secures a date with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
To say that both of these squads are starving for World Series action would be a cosmic understatement. Toronto hasn’t reached the Fall Classic since they won it all in 1993. The Mariners? They’ve never been — the only team in baseball without a World Series appearance. In Game 7, one team transcends its history, and the other falls back into the same heartbreaking cycle.
The Jays are favored on DraftKings Sportsbook, listed at -132 on the moneyline while the Mariners are +108 underdogs. And reasonably so. Toronto has home-field advantage, where they’ve dominated all season long, and rides the momentum of a massive Game 6 victory. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that anything can happen in a Game 7.
First pitch at Rogers Centre is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET. The total is set at 7.5 runs.
Mariners vs. Blue Jays preview
Monday night features a rematch between Game 3 starters. The Blue Jays will hand the ball to Shane Bieber, banking on a colossal return on their trade deadline splurge. The 6-foot-3, mustachioed right-hander held a 3.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 37 strikeouts with the Jays after returning from Tommy John surgery.
The former Cy Young winner made a pair of starts so far in October and is riding the momentum from a masterful outing in Game 3. Facing an 0-2 deficit in Seattle, Bieber delivered six innings of two-run ball with eight strikeouts to spark a dominant Jays win.
George Kirby didn’t fare nearly as well in their last encounter. The 6-foot-4 righty was chased after just four innings in Game 3, tagged for eight earned runs and three homers. Before that meltdown, he dominated the Detroit Tigers in the Division Series — boasting a 2.70 ERA with 14 strikeouts across ten innings. But the Blue Jays are a different beast.
Kirby has been a far cry from his 2024 self — one of the best pitchers in baseball — and now the Mariners need him to rediscover that form, in what may be the most important start in franchise history.
Mariners vs. Blue Jays pick, best bet
These teams are here for a reason — each boasting explosive lineups with the ability to punish pitchers from any spot in the order. Seattle hit the third most home runs in the sport this season, anchored by MVP candidate Cal Raleigh, who’s continued to launch bombs under the bright lights of October. Toronto, meanwhile, led MLB in batting average and total hits, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. emerging as the postseason’s most feared slugger. And surrounding both stars are supporting casts deep enough to rival a Christopher Nolan film.
Game 7s are a crapshoot — especially when the teams are fighting for so much more than a pennant. It’s not just about a trip to the World Series. It’s about rewriting franchise history. Buckle up. Enjoy the ride. And expect fireworks.
