ALCS Game 7 Preview: What To Know Before The Mariners and Blue Jays Do Battle in Toronto One Last Time

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The Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays square off Monday night in game seven of the American League Championship Series at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, with the winner earning the right to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

Rogers Centre & Cn Tower at sunset
Rogers Centre & Cn Tower at sunset. Photo: Mitul Shah

The Blue Jays are looking to get back to their first World Series since 1993. The Mariners are looking to get to their franchise’s first ever World Series.

There’s only been one time either franchise has played in a game seven in either of their histories: A Blue Jays loss to the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 ALCS, according to Will Leitch of mlb.com

The Blue Jays took the most recent contest in the series Sunday night as Blue Jays all-star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. crushed his sixth home run of the postseason and Blue Jays right hander Trey Yesavage struck out seven Mariners over five and two thirds’ innings of work in a 6-2 Blue Jays victory.

Blue Jays all-star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Photo: Jeffrey Hayes

“My dad always told me, ‘Game 7 – give it all you have,’” Guerrero Jr said in a postgame interview with Fox Sports field reporter Ken Rosenthal. “I [was] born ready,” he said in a separate postgame interview with Sportsnet reporter Hazel Mae.

Seattle Mariners all-star catcher Cal Raleigh. Photo: Lianna Davis

“It’s an all-hands-on-deck kind of situation,” Seattle Mariners all-star catcher Cal Raleigh said in a postgame interview to Daniel Kramer of mlb.com. “So everybody will be excited and ready to go for that challenge. It’s just about going out there, controlling your emotions and trying to control those at-bats and those pitches, one by one.”

The Seattle Mariners will start right hander George Kirby, while the Toronto Blue Jays will start right hander Shane Bieber. Kirby comes into game 7 wielding a 0-1 record and a 7.07 earned run average over 14 postseason innings pitched, surrendering 8 runs in a game three loss earlier in the ALCS. Bieber this postseason spots a record of 1-0 and a 4.15 ERA across eight and two thirds’ innings, earning the win in the aforementioned game three by pitching six innings and allowing just two runs while striking out 8 Mariners in the process.

First Pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. local time, 7:10 p.m. central daylight time. The game will be aired on Fox and Fox Sports 1.