Get greedy? Mariners seek 2-0 ALCS lead with short-rest Logan Gilbert in Toronto
Why not get greedy?
Everything else the Mariners are doing is audacious.
The American League West champions stunned all of baseball by coming from way back to win their first division title since 2001. They shook the Pacific Northwest and the sport again by rallying to win an epic Game 5 over Detroit on Friday night. That 15-inning victory got Seattle into its first AL Championship Series in 24 years.
So of course they flew almost straight from celebrating that 2,500 miles to Toronto, arrived late Saturday night after a flight delay, then shocked the powerful, top-seeded Blue Jays on their home field in a 3-1 win in Game 1 of the ALCS Sunday.
“We knew we had our hands full (Sunday),” M’s catcher Cal Raleigh said, after his 62nd home run this season and postseason propelled Seattle’s come-from-behind win in Game 1.
“Just come out and try to keep executing.”
As in Game 2 at Rogers Centre on Monday (2:03 p.m., FOX television, FS1, Fox Deportes).
Now the Mariners, and all of the PNW, are dreaming of the unthinkable: Coming home Tuesday with a 2-0 series lead, with the next two and if necessary three games at home and ace Bryan Woo lining up to start one of those games inside roaring T-Mobile Park.
They are counting on Logan Gilbert to do it. On two days’ rest.
After throwing 34 pitches out of the bullpen in extra innings Friday night of that all-hands win over the Tigers to get to Toronto, Gilbert will start Monday in a bid to get the Mariners out of Canada up 2-0.
“We talked about it (Sunday), and they basically just asked me if I was good to go. Of course, I said yeah right away,” Gilbert said Sunday night after Game 1. “They wanted me to see how I felt in catch play, if my arm felt normal, and it did.
“It was kind of unusual circumstances a few days ago.”
Kind of?
“But, I don’t know, I treat it as a bullpen or very high-intense bullpen,” he said, “and hopefully just be feeling good, ready to go.”
An off-day bullpen session in front of 47,000 screaming fans with the season on the line, that is.
“I think the outing the other night in the 15-inning game was really a good side day for him,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said, in deadpan.
“The way we’re looking at it is, he took a side session in the game with 40,000-plus people there.
“He’s ready to go. He’s excited. He wants the ball. So it’ll be Logan.”
The 6-foot-6, 28-year-old right-hander was 6-6 in 25 starts this regular season, with a 3.44 ERA and 173 strikeouts in 131 innings. He started Game 3 of the division series at Detroit six days ago. He earned the win with six innings of four-hit, one-run ball with seven strikeouts and no walks. He wasn’t overly taxed in that outing either, throwing 85 pitches in his first career postseason victory.
Gilbert is 0-2 with a 5.24 ERA in six career starts against the Blue Jays. He’s faced 152 Toronto batters and allowed 43 hits with 41 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings. He’s 0-1 with a 2.79 ERA in three career starts at Rogers Centre, which used to be named SkyDome.
He’s been easing up on throwing between outings in anticipation he’d get this start — and this massive opportunity to send the Mariners back to Seattle two wins from their first World Series — on Monday.
“It’s really been kind of game, game, and back to game again,” Gilbert said. “I like to practice a lot and get my work in. But in the playoffs, you kind of just get ready for the games.
“I’ve been toning down the practice throws a little bit.”
This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 7:19 AM.
