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Themes from Game 1 continued in Game 2 in the AL Division Series. While the NL teams had the day off and will resume their Division Series today, the AL featured another rout (by the same team) and another tight game (won by the other team). Not to mention we had an iconic pitching performance by a rookie who was in the minors a month ago with no idea the role he would play in the postseason. Winning Game 2 is a huge swing in a five-game series.
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Division Series Digest
J-Rod Stays Hot, Helps Mariners Even Series
Final score: Mariners 3, Tigers 2
Series: Tied 1-1
Next game: Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert vs. Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty, Tuesday, 4:08 p.m. ET at Comerica Park (FS1)
The postseason is a time for average players to become cult heroes for doing something extraordinary. It is also a time where star players can elevate themselves into franchise icon status. If star center fielder Julio Rodríguez continues to do what he has done in the first two games of the Seattle Mariners‘ AL Division Series vs. the Detroit Tigers, he can be sure every bar in Seattle will give him his beverage of choice for the rest of his life. Rodriguez doubled home Cal Raleigh with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Mariners edged the Tigers 3-2 at T-Mobile Park to even the ALDS 1-1. J-Rod, who homered in the Mariners’ Game 1 loss, gave Seattle its first postseason victory at home since 2001.
This felt like a prototypical playoff game, much like Saturday’s Game 1, won by the Tigers 3-2 in 11 innings. There was the ace-like pitching by Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal, the potential repeat winner of the AL Cy Young Award, and Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo, the stalwart of the Seattle rotation. Skubal allowed two runs over seven innings, striking out nine, while Castillo was only called upon to go 4⅔ innings, allowing only one hit and not giving up a run, struggling with control by issuing four walks. The other half of that equation was the unexpected offensive contribution of Jorge Polanco, who hit not one, but two solo homers of Skubal to put the Mariners up 2-0 in the sixth inning.
After being held scoreless for seven innings, the Tigers came to life in the eighth. With Matt Brash coming on to begin the inning, Gleyber Torres drew a leadoff walk and Riley Greene reached when his hard grounder to first was misplayed by Josh Naylor. Spencer Torkelson, after seeing four sliders to open the at-bat, then drove a sinker down the right-field line that sent Torres and Greene dashing for the plate, easily scoring on the double. But the Mariners’ two biggest stars came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Raleigh, a potential AL MVP after hitting 60 homers, hit the first pitch he saw from Tigers right-hander Kyle Finnegan to right-center for a double. J-Rod followed suit, attacking Finnegan’s second pitch for his decisive double down the left-field line. Rodriguez is 4-for-9 with three RBIs in the two games after going 5-for-23 with two RBIs in the 2022 postseason.
Mariner closer Andrés Muñoz, who pitched two innings the day before, pitched a perfect ninth to secure the split in Seattle.
Yesavage Is Scintallating, Vlad Grand As Jays Roll
Final score: Blue Jays 13, Yankees 7
Series: Blue Jays lead 2-0
Next game: Blue Jays RHP Shane Bieber vs. Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón, Tuesday, 8:08 p.m. at Yankee Stadium (FS1)
It was one of those games where you just shook your head in amazement and soaked in what 22-year-old Trey Yesavage was doing. With all of three MLB regular-season starts on his career ledger, Yesavage did the unimaginable in his first postseason start for the Toronto Blue Jays. The right-handed starter threw 5⅓ hitless innings and struck out a postseason club-record 11, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a grand slam as the Jays crushed the New York Yankees 13-7 at Rogers Centre to take a 2-0 lead in the AL Division Series. The Jays, the No. 1 seed in the AL after edging the Yankees on the final day of the regular season for the East Division title, can earn their first trip to the AL Championship Series since back-to-back appearances in 2015-16 on Tuesday as the series shifts to Yankee Stadium. The Jays have outscored the Yankees 23-8 in the two games.
Daulton Varsho homered twice and doubled twice, driving in four and scoring four times, as the Jays made quick work of Yankees ace left-hander Max Fried, who led MLB with with 19 wins to go along with a 2.86 ERA. Fried, second in the AL in innings pitched, only made it two batters into the fourth inning before he was yanked. But by then, the Jays were already up 5-0, with Ernie Clement hitting a two-run homer in the second inning, and two batters away from Guerrero crushing his grand slam, his second homer in as many days after not homering in his first six postseason games, to make it 9-0. That was also the first slam in Toronto postseason history. The Jays then put up six runs in the fourth inning to make sure any comeback attempt was moot.
Yesavage held MLB’s highest-scoring team to zero hits into the sixth inning and looked more like a multiple-time Cy Young Award winner instead of a fresh-faced rookie in his fourth game after being a first-round pick in 2024. He served notice in the first inning that it was going to be a challenge for the Yankees, striking out three while walking AL MVP candidate Aaron Judge in his first time facing the slugger. After saying the day before that, “I’m built for this,” Yesavage more than showed he was ready for this type of stage and suddenly gives the Jays a quality third starter behind Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber. Yesavage was removed after facing the lineup twice.
That is when the Yankees finally broke through offensively. Judge’s two-out infield single in the sixth was the Yankees’ first hit and Cody Bellinger followed with a two-run homer. In the seventh, New York scored five times, but that would be the extent of the Yankees’ scoring.
Trey Yesavage just struck out three Yankees in his first career postseason inning. Wow. #BlueJays
— Keegan Matheson (@keeganmatheson.bsky.social) 2025-10-05T20:17:30.388Z
By The Numbers
⚾ Blue Jays rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage became the third pitcher to make a postseason start within his first four MLB appearances.
⚾ Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s grand slam gave him as many homers as his father hit in 44 postseason games. Vladito has played in eight postseason games.
Father/son duos to each homer in postseason:Vladimir Sr (2 HR) & Jr (2) GuerreroBob (2) & Bret (3) BooneBob (2) & Aaron (2) BooneTony (6) & Eduardo (1) PerezJulian (1) & Stan (1) JavierCecil (3) & Prince (5) Fielderh/t @EliasSports
⚾ Julio Rodríguez of the Mariners has an extra-base hit in five consecutive postseason games, the longest such stretch for a player less than 25 years old in MLB postseason history. He turns 25 on Dec. 29.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Proud Parents
Trey Yesavage’s mom and dad were popular with the TV folks during the game.
Buhner’s Back
Former Mariners outfielder Jay Buhner threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
What Does That Mean?
The FS1 announcers had a fun time with some of the play-by-play of the Tigers’ game-tying hit.
Noteworthy News
Chourio’s Status Up In Air …
An MRI on the right hamstring of Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio was inconclusive, leaving his status for today’s Game 2 vs. the Chicago Cubs uncertain. Chourio, injured while legging out an RBI infield single in the second inning, was expected to do some running and other drills to test the hamstring, the same injury that kept him out for all but the final two days of August. The fact that the MRI did not reveal a strain has to be considered good news for the Brewers. Chourio, who went 3-for-3 with three RBIs in the first two innings of Game 1, could potentially sit out today, thus getting two more days off before Game 3 on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. Isaac Collins would likely get the call in left field with the Cubs starting left-hander Shota Imanaga. The Brewers are countering with an opener in left-hander Aaron Ashby.
Jackson Chourio is running.
— Curt Hogg (@cyrthogg.bsky.social) 2025-10-05T20:07:18.578Z
… Same With Bader
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader is in a similar spot with the groin injury he sustained in Game 1. Imaging did not reveal a tear or a strain, according to manager Rob Thomson, who said, “We’ll know more tomorrow.” Bader said he felt the groin issue pop up while running from first to second on a Bryson Stott single in the bottom of the fifth inning, after making a tremendous diving catch in the top half. Bader remained in the game until being pinch-hit for in the seventh inning.
Extra Bases
⚾ Brett Phillips, who broke into the majors with the Brewers and his one-of-a-kind laugh and had a walk-off hit in the 2020 World Series for the Tampa Bay Rays, retired from his playing career. The 31-year-old had a career slash line of .187/.272/.347 slash line with 31 homers and 99 RBIs in 971 plate appearances in his seven-year career with five teams. His career highlight came in Game 4 of the 2020 World Series when hit a two-run single for an 8-7 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Phillips joined Dodgers legend Kirk Gibson as the only players in MLB postseason history to have a two-out walk-off hit when their team was trailing in the World Series. Phillips, who last played in MLB in 2023, had attempted a comeback as a pitcher.
Articles You Should Read
What Bader’s injury means to the Phillies’ outfield — Charlotte Varnes, The Athletic
A “failed” season for Betts turned around just in time for Dodgers — Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register
Why Toboni wants to connect with Nationals fans — Bobby Blanco MASN Sports
Pirates’ Nutting puts pressure on GM Cherington this offseason — John Perroto, Pirates Roundtable
