Looking for a Blue Jays vs Mariners prediction and ALCS Game 2 preview? You’re in the right place.
The Seattle Mariners are three wins away from something that seemed impossible for decades—their first World Series appearance in franchise history.
After stealing Game 1 on Sunday night with a gritty 3-1 victory, Seattle has a chance to put a stranglehold on this series before it heads back to the Pacific Northwest.
But here’s the thing: Toronto’s not going down quietly at home, where they’ve been an offensive juggernaut all season.
And they’re throwing their not-so secret weapon at the Mariners tonight—a rookie with three career regular-season starts who just carved up the Yankees like he was born for October baseball.
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Blue Jays vs Mariners Prediction – ALCS Game 2 Preview
Logan Gilbert takes the ball for Seattle on short rest, and when I say short rest, I mean really short. The big righty started ALDS Game 3 last Tuesday, throwing six quality innings against Detroit.
Then, in Friday night’s 15-inning marathon that officially became the longest winner-take-all playoff game in MLB history, Gilbert came out of the bullpen for the first time in his 149 combined regular-season and postseason appearances. He threw 34 pitches across two-plus innings of scoreless relief.
Now he’s starting Game 2 on just two days of rest.
The wild part? Gilbert looked elite in his ALDS start, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out seven. When he’s locked in, his teammates call him “Walter”—his alter ego persona that shows up when he’s slaying on the mound.
Gilbert posted a 3.20 ERA across 32 regular-season starts and has been even better this October, sporting a 1.13 postseason ERA. The question isn’t whether he can pitch well tonight—it’s whether his arm has anything left in the tank after the grueling week Seattle just survived.
On the other side, Trey Yesavage is the story everyone’s talking about. The Blue Jays rookie made just three starts during the regular season, but his ALDS Game 2 performance against the Yankees was video game stuff.
He no-hit New York for 5.1 innings while striking out 11. Eleven! The Yankees had zero answers for his over-the-top delivery, his 95-96 mph heater, and that wipeout splitter that’s been dropping off tables all postseason.
The Mariners haven’t seen him yet, which cuts both ways. They don’t have experience against his unusual delivery, but Yesavage also hasn’t faced playoff pressure on this stage, defending a home crowd that’s desperate to see their team avoid an 0-2 hole.
Sunday’s opener told us everything about how this series might unfold. The Blue Jays struck first when George Springer crushed Bryce Miller’s first-pitch fastball for a leadoff homer—the first leadoff bomb ever hit by a Blue Jay in a postseason game. Rogers Centre was rocking.
Then Seattle’s pitching staff went to work. Miller gutted through six innings on short rest, and the Mariners’ bullpen was lights out, combining for three scoreless frames on just 24 pitches. The offense, meanwhile, kept grinding until Cal Raleigh launched a game-tying homer in the sixth.
Jorge Polanco, who’s been the Mariners’ October hero since forever, delivered a pair of RBI singles—including the insurance run in the eighth after Randy Arozarena walked and stole two bases.
The final damage? Toronto managed just two hits all night. Two. Their vaunted lineup that scored 431 runs at home during the regular season—third-most in baseball—looked completely lost against Seattle’s pitching depth.
Here’s where it gets interesting from a value perspective. The Blue Jays are home favorites at about -130, which makes sense on paper.
But the numbers tell a different story about these teams’ playoff form. Seattle is 7-1 in their last eight games as underdogs against American League opponents.
Meanwhile, Toronto has dropped four of its last five playoff games as favorites. When the pressure’s on and they’re expected to win, they’ve struggled to deliver.
Let’s circle back to something important: Seattle just played a 15-inning game on Friday night that didn’t end until well past midnight.
They then traveled across (and to another) country, had one day to catch their breath, and immediately played Game 1 on Sunday evening. Now they’re turning around for Game 2 less than 24 hours later.
Conventional wisdom says the Mariners should be gassed. Except that’s not what we saw in Game 1. They looked locked in, disciplined, and completely unfazed by the quick turnaround or the hostile road environment.
This is a veteran roster that’s been battle-tested through the ALDS grind, and they’re feeding off the momentum of being three wins from their first World Series.
Toronto, meanwhile, has had plenty of rest after dispatching the Yankees on Wednesday. But sometimes too much rest can work against you.
The Blue Jays’ offense looked rusty in the opener, and now they’re facing the pressure of needing to win at home before this series shifts to Seattle.
ALCS Game 2 Preview: Betting Picks
Let’s wrap up our Blue Jays vs Mariners prediction and ALCS Game 2 preview for today.
I keep coming back to Logan Gilbert. Yes, he’s on short rest. Yes, he threw 34 pitches three days ago. But this is a guy who finished the regular season with a 2.30 ERA over his final five September starts.
He’s been Seattle’s anchor all year, and when “Walter” shows up—when Gilbert locks into that ultra-competitive mode his teammates talk about—he’s one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.
The Mariners’ formula is simple: Get quality innings from their starter, shorten the game to their elite bullpen, and manufacture just enough offense to win. That blueprint worked perfectly in Game 1, and I’m not convinced Toronto has the answer for it in Game 2.
Yesavage is talented, no question. But asking a rookie making his fifth career start to save your season at home with a 1-0 series deficit? That’s a lot of pressure.
One mistake to Cal Raleigh (who’s already taken him deep in spirit if not in reality), one bad inning where the nerves kick in, and suddenly Seattle’s got the lead and their bullpen is coming to close it out.
If I’m forced to pick a side, I’ll take the value with Seattle, but I am also a big believer in Yesavage. I’ll dabble with the under 7.5 total.
My lean: Mariners +109
Betting Pick: Under 7.5 if you believe in the pitching matchup
