Five things to know: Game 2 of the American League wild-card series between the Blue Jays and the Mariners

The Toronto Blue Jays fell to the Seattle Mariners 4-0 last night in the first game of their AL wild card series.

Here are five things to know ahead of Game 2 of the best-of-three series:

ON DECK – Kevin Gausman, who posted a 12-10 regular season record with a 3.35 earned run average, will start for Toronto this afternoon. Seattle will counter with Robbie Ray, who went 12-12 with a 3.71 ERA this year.

“I’ve never pitched an elimination game before, but I started the last game of the season in 2016 (for the Baltimore Orioles),” Gausman said. “We needed to win that game.

“So I’ve pitched in a lot of significant games in my career. Obviously it’s not an elimination game, but I’ve got to go out there and pitch to my strengths.”

RAY’S RETURN: Ray won the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the American League while playing for the Blue Jays in 2021. He didn’t pitch when the Mariners visited Toronto earlier this season, but instead was placed on Seattle’s restricted list for players who were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19. He said yesterday that he was excited to return to Toronto.

“I think you just have to control your emotions. Don’t let the situation get too big. Don’t let the crowd control how you feel about the game,” Ray said.

“Obviously, there’s going to be a lot of noise here. The roof is closed. They’re going to be packed. The fans here are loud. They love baseball. They love the Blue Jays. So, it’s going to be loud.” “

BLUE JAYS INJURIES — Second baseman Santiago Espinal was on Toronto’s 23-man postseason roster Friday but was left out of the Game 1 lineup as he continued to recover from a left oblique strain. However, outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (hamstring) was left off the list entirely. Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider’s hope is that Toronto can advance to the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros without Gurriel. Schneider hinted that Espinal could be part of the lineup against left-hander Ray in Game 2.

“You try to break down all the possible scenarios that can happen in the next three days, whether they’re good or bad, and try to make the best decision,” Schneider said.

SPRINGER FINE — Blue Jays outfielder George Springer has struggled with soreness in his right elbow for most of the season. It looked like his left elbow was going to hurt too after he hit it with a pitch in the eighth inning of yesterday’s loss. Springer was able to get his elbow out of the way of a 97.9 mph four-seam fastball from Mariners starter Luis Castillo. The throw, however, caught him on the wrist. Schneider said after the game that Springer was fine.

“X-rays are negative for a fracture,” Schneider said. “He feels good, and we’ll see how he feels (Saturday), but I hope he’s ready.”

POP UP – Relief pitcher Zach Pop of Brampton, Ontario, made his postseason debut in the eighth inning. Pop, 26, gave up a single to Eugenio Suarez before striking out Cal Raleigh. He allowed a double to Mitch Haniger before being replaced on the mound by Trevor Richards.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on October 8, 2022.