Game 7! The Mariners and Blue Jays in a do-or-die ALCS battle for a World Series berth

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Game 7! The Mariners and Blue Jays in a do-or-die ALCS battle for a World Series berth

TORONTO — Game 7 never gets old. He also never fails to humble even the greatest players into gracing the October stage.

Max Scherzer is about to embark on his 11^th win-win game of his storied major league career, and in the moments after his Toronto Blue Jays kept their season alive with a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, his mental record book was whirring, taking him back to his playoff debut at age 26 throughout the two World Series championships he has won over the past six years.

“My God, one more,” Scherzer said, stomping a little and shaking his head, as usual. “I walk around, I go through all my Game 7s, my Game 5s, the playoff games, the last day, all those moments and you all remember them.

“To get another one? My God. They’re so special, so hard to get to, that to get there again, that’s what you live for.”

Scherzer has kept private what he plans to pass on to his friends, but it will be an experience born from seven Game 5s of the Division Series, a wild card game, a Game 7 of the ALCS and of course, Game 7 of the 2019 World Series, when Scherzer started the clinching game for the Washington Nationals two days after being scratched from the start due to a debilitating neck illness.

And that’s exactly the kind of sacrifice the Mariners and Blue Jays expect in what should be an exciting night of baseball at Rogers Center.

Let’s take a look at the latest installment of baseball’s ultimate drama: win or go home:

Who is available? Everyone

In the hours between the Blue Jays’ crushing Game 5 loss to Seattle and their revival in Game 6, closer Jeff Hoffman was chatting with his wife about what might be expected of him the next two nights.

“We were talking about the possibility of me throwing multiple innings today, or maybe tomorrow, or maybe both. Who knows what that will take?” said Hoffman, who actually pitched two near-perfect innings in Game 6, striking out four of the seven batters he faced.

“She asked me, ‘Are you ready to do this?’ And it’s like there’s no choice. You are ready to do it. If that’s what the team needs from you, you do it and worry about tomorrow.

With this in mind, both clubs are in good shape. The Blue Jays burned Hoffman for two innings and setup man Louis Varland for four outs, but stayed away from fireballer Seranthony Dominguez, who should be available for an extended stint in Game 7.

The Mariners used top setup man Matt Brash for one inning and Eduard Bazardo for two. But left-hander Gabe Speier got a much-needed night off and closer Andres Muñoz didn’t pitch. He will almost certainly be called upon for multiple innings if the Mariners hold a late lead or – for example! – the game continues in additional innings.

Bottom line: Relievers are already built to pitch until their arms come loose — and both units are in good shape.

All hands on deck

There’s nothing that makes the heart skip a beat in a playoff game than a starter warming up in the bullpen. And Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber and Mariners counterpart George Kirby will have a troika of veterans behind them.

Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo and Luis Castillo will all be available behind Kirby, who allowed eight runs in his Game 3 start.

As for the Blue Jays, Scherzer, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt are all available to provide length if Bieber hits the wall early. Or, to put out a fire if necessary.

“If you like playoff baseball, that’s what it’s all about,” Gausman says. “You might see Max Scherzer in the fifth inning. You might see me later in the game. That’s kind of what it is.

“As a player, this is what we want. We have all been working since February 1.^steven before, so now that we win a game, we’re going to the World Series.

Managerial spirit

Game 6 was a balm for Blue Jays manager John Schneider, whose decision to deploy inconsistent left-hander Brendon Little in Game 5 blew up and put his club in a win-or-go-home position.

Now the mental advantage may have changed, with the Blue Jays having already reduced their mortality.

Heck, Schneider himself looks like a dude who just got a stay of execution.

“It’s pretty cool that we’re here. I’m not going to lie,” he said after Game 6. “You have to keep your foot on the gas and prepare for tomorrow.

This is what we are signing up for. Any time you can play for Game 7 to go to the World Series, it sounds pretty cool to say that, you know. But that’s why we sacrifice everything. This is why players sacrifice everything.

“This team, this group of men, is special. You never know where the journey is going to take you. It leads to a Game 7 in the ALCS and it’s really awesome.

“Again, man, when spring training starts and you say, hey, you’ve got a game to win to go to the World Series, you take it every time.”

For the record, that’s two “damn”s and one “cool” and “awesome” each.

What about you, Seattle manager Dan Wilson?

“So we’ll make our adjustments offensively tomorrow and we’ll be ready to play Game 7,” he said after a night where the club found itself in double plays in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

“I mean, this is the time to make those adjustments and baseball is a game of adjustments, and they’ll be able to make that tomorrow night and be ready to go.”

Mood check? Advantage, Blue Jays.

A heavy story

Both clubs were born in 1977. However, the Mariners have never played a Game 7.

Toronto has a richer history, with back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993. Yet it’s been 40 years since they played a Game 7, when they blew a 3-1 lead to the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 ALCS.

The ALCS has been a cruel obstacle for both clubs over the past quarter century. Toronto lost in six games to Kansas City in 2015 and five games to Cleveland in 2016, while Seattle succumbed to the New York Yankees in 2000 and 2001.

They had never been within a game of a World Series in their history, until Eugenio Suárez’s grand slam won them Game 5. They are still waiting and now face what could be an even and excruciating Game 7 for both teams.