Mariners now stand on the verge of the ultimate agony or ecstasy

In many ways it’s almost ordained that the Mariners’ chances of finally making the World Series come down to a winner-takes-all Game Seven.

It wasn’t that the Seattle Mariners needed to be at their best on Sunday evening in Toronto, although that undoubtedly would have helped them. No, what was most difficult for fans to stomach was that in the most important game in team history to date, the M’s couldn’t have played more poorly.

If anyone believes this is a harsh assessment then that’s fair enough, but keep in mind we’re not questioning the core moral fiber and mental fortitude of this Mariners team. It’s just that more should have been expected, with them closer than ever before to securing both the first American League Pennant and World Series berth in 49 years of existence.

At least the Mariners still stand on the precipice of history with just one win separating them from the best ever season by this team. Now though the stakes have changed, with a winner-takes-all Game Seven on Monday evening versus the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

A different winner-takes-all scenario for the Mariners

Now it should be pointed out that if history is anything to go by the Mariners are 3-0 all-time in winner-takes-all games, with victories in Game Five of the 1995, 2001 and this year’s AL Division Series. However, this will be the first time they have encountered such a scenario in a Game Seven.

What that means in the grand scheme of things is anyone’s guess, given just how streaky, unpredictable and downright frustrating the Mariners have been throughout the 2025 season. While they have the talent and capability to beat any team if they are on form, they can just as easily lay an egg versus the worst that baseball has to offer.

In reality the Blue Jays have been the better team overall in this series, including for the majority of Game Five in Seattle. If Cal Raleigh and Eugenio Suárez don’t take advantage of an erratic bullpen in the bottom of the eighth, then this ALCS might already be over.

However, we’re dealing with actualities here as opposed to “what if” and “what could have been” situations and in this respect the Mariners are still very much alive. But you better believe they’re hanging on by their finger nails and needing to wake up from whatever trance they were under on Sunday evening.

Logan Gilbert struggles but he wasn’t alone

Outside of Bryce Miller the starting rotation just hasn’t delivered during this series and unfortunately for the Mariners Logan Gilbert continued this theme into Game Six. He had only allowed one home run in his four previous career postseason games combined, but gave up two on Sunday evening.

Gilbert was finally pulled after allowing a leadoff blast by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the bottom of the fifth for that second home run. Overall, he officially went 4.0 innings and allowed seven hits, a walk and five runs (four earned) and left the game with the Blue Jays leading 5-0.

Not that this should be perceived as piling on Gilbert specifically or the rotation in general, because as much of a close-knit team the Mariners are, this has also extended to the team at times collectively under-performing below their talent level. The defense had three errors on Sunday evening which played a significant role in three of the Blue Jays’ runs.

As for the offense, they really have had a rough time of it after the Mariners took a seemingly strong 2-0 lead in this ALCS. Since then they have batted .203 in four games for a .715 OPS and 14 combined runs, resulting in just one win.

• Seahawks Rookie Camp Day 1 Highlights
• Exploring Jadarian Price’s Impact on Seahawks’ Offense
• Seattle Storm’s Preseason Breakdown: Stats and Highlights
• Mariners complete strong road trip but Matt Brash causes concern
• Key Takeaways from Seattle Storm’s Thrilling Preseason Match

Painful missed chances for the M’s bats

What was particularly tough though in Game Six specifically, was that the Mariners had three instances of inning-ending double-plays with men on base. Most sickening of all for the fans was that this included loaded-bases, one-out situations in both the third and fourth innings, when even one hit could have changed the whole complexion of the game.

Josh Naylor took some encouragement from the Mariners repeatedly putting traffic on base and had a philosophical outlook at what transpired. As per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, he said:

“I think we did a good job of putting some pressure on at times, and sometimes you’re not going to come through. And that is what it is. It’s baseball. You can prepare as well as you can. You can feel the best you can. But sometimes, it’s just not going to go your way. And that is what it is.”

Of course we realize this is verging into “what if” and “what could have been” territory again, so let’s move swiftly on from the 6-2 loss. Which is what the Mariners must now do with the aforementioned winner-takes-all Game Seven on Monday evening in Toronto.

Mariners staying calm ahead of Game 7

As noted by Jerry Dipoto when we asked him last month about how Dan Wilson has influenced him, he talked about the former catcher’s ability to always remain calm regardless of the situation. As such Wilson’s comments postgame on Sunday evening should have come as no surprise as almost matter of fact he said:

“We’ll be ready to go in Game Seven. Baseball is a game of adjustments. They will be able to do that tomorrow night.”

If Julio Rodríguez’s comments are any indication, then Wilson’s approach is clearly rubbing off on the players as well. As per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, talking about Game Seven Rodríguez said:

“I just feel like it’s gonna be another game. We all know what it means, but same time, like we’re gonna be playing the same nine innings, and it’s gonna be 27 outs.”

The Mariners are so close to erasing the ghosts of failures past and finally making it to the biggest stage in all of baseball, while at the same time perilously placed to endure the most agonizing offseason in franchise history. Just don’t ask us to predict which outcome will take place, because it’s virtually impossible to know what to expect with this team, although either way it’s going to be roller coaster ride of emotions for a fanbase which has endured more than most over the years.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography

So here we are – it all comes down to Monday evening in Toronto. Who do you predict will win Game Seven between the Mariners and Blue Jays, and why? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.