Canada·UpdatedThe Toronto Blue Jays have a chance to push the Seattle Mariners to the brink of post-season elimination on Friday night, as the two teams vie for the upper hand in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, which is currently tied 2-2.Catch updates here as Game 5 of the American League Championship Series gets underway in SeattleGeoff Nixon · CBC News · Posted: Oct 17, 2025 5:23 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes agoToronto Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman pitches against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of Game 5 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) in Seattle Friday. Gausman gave up a solo home run to Eugenio Suárez in the second inning to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)The Latest:Mariners’ first baseman Josh Naylor hits a long single to left field, and is then thrown out at second on a fielder’s choice as Randy Arozarena reaches first, then steals second a few pitches later. But Kevin Gausman gets out of trouble with some help from the outfield catching some easy pop ups. The score remains 1-0 Mariners. Gausman, who got the start in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS), is back at work for the Jays tonight. The Jays have back-to-back victories at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, with a 13-4 win in Game 3, and an 8-2 win in Game 4.The best-of-seven playoff series is now even at two games apiece. Game 6 goes in Toronto on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 8:03 p.m. ET. The Mariners have taken an early lead 1-0 over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS), after Eugenio Suárez hit a solo home run off Toronto’s Kevin Gausman in the bottom of the second inning at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park on Friday night.After giving up the solo shot to Suárez, Gausman kept Seattle from scoring any further runs in the rest of the second inning and the third, striking out four Mariners along the way.The game had been scoreless through the first inning — though both teams got a base runner aboard early in the game.The Blue Jays failed to score in the first inning, after Seattle starter Bryce Miller gave up a two-out double to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but evaded further trouble by striking out Alejandro Kirk to get a third out.The Mariners’ Cal Raleigh hit a double with one out in the bottom of the first, but none of his teammates could bring him home.Series tied at 2-2Toronto and Seattle have each won two games in the best-of-seven ALCS, and the team that wins Friday’s game will be well-placed to move on to the World Series.Gausman — who put in a strong performance starting Game 1 — is aiming to nail down a third straight Jays victory on Friday evening.Blue Jays manager John Schneider said all members of his bullpen are available to jump into action if Gausman runs into any trouble.”We’re in a good spot,” he said ahead of the game. “Everyone’s available today.”Seattle will send Bryce Miller to the mound, as the Mariners try to right the ship.Jays’ bats come aliveMomentum has moved in Toronto’s favour over the past two games, as the Blue Jays’ offence helped reverse Seattle’s two-game lead in the ALCS. Sharp pitching from two veteran starters — Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer — and solid backup from the bullpen was also key. Toronto racked up 29 hits in the past two games, outscoring Seattle 21-6 over that same stretch.Guerrero Jr. follows through on a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners in Game 4 on Thursday. (Lindsey Wasson/The Associated Press)The Jays beat Seattle by a score of 8-2 in Thursday’s Game 4, powered by a feisty Scherzer. The 41-year-old pitched his first playoff game in a Blue Jays uniform. Toronto’s Game 3 victory was a bit more lopsided Wednesday night, when they won 13-4 over Seattle.Seattle won the first two ALCS games at Toronto’s Rogers Centre — 3-1 in Game 1, and 10-3 in Game 2.Before Friday’s game, Mariners manager Dan Wilson said the Jays had been able to take advantage of Seattle’s mixed bag of pitching.”They’ve been able to put together a more consistent approach than they were able to do during the first couple games of the series,” Wilson said Friday afternoon.Toronto reliever Jeff Hoffman threw a clean eighth inning in Game 4 Thursday night. The Blue Jays provided plenty of runs, but Toronto also had solid pitching, both from starter Max Scherzer and the bullpen. (Kevin Ng/Imagn Images/Reuters Connect)Back to TorontoThe Blue Jays’ Game 4 victory means both teams will head back to Toronto for a Game 6 in the ALCS on Sunday night. If Game 7 is necessary, it will be played Monday, also at Rogers Centre.The winner of the ALCS will advance to the World Series — a stage Toronto last reached in the ’90s. Seattle, meanwhile, has never been part of the Fall Classic.The team that goes to the World Series will play the winner of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) — either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Milwaukee Brewers.The Dodgers — the winners of two of the past five World Series — are leading the best-of-seven NLCS 3-0 ahead of their own Friday night game with the Brewers.WATCH | Blue Jays pull even with Seattle in ALCS:Blue Jays beat Seattle 8-2 to even up American League championship at 2 games eachThe Toronto Blue Jays combined hot bats and solid pitching to secure a critical 8-2 win over the Seattle Mariners in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, tying up the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.ABOUT THE AUTHORGeoff Nixon is a writer on CBC’s national digital desk in Toronto. He has covered a wealth of topics, from real estate to technology to world events.
Mariners take early 1-0 lead over Blue Jays in Game 5 of the ALCS
