h716a5.icuFor the Mariners, winning the longest winner-take-all game in MLB history was one thing. Winning a game 48 hours later will be quite another.
During its surreal 3–2 victory over the Tigers on Friday to close out the American League Division Series, Seattle burned through seven pitchers en route to its first American League Championship Series since 2001. On Sunday, the Mariners will head east to open the ALCS against the Blue Jays.
Seattle announced Saturday that Bryce Miller—its starter in Game 4 of the ALDS—would start Game 1.
Miller, 27, pitched 4 1/3 innings against Detroit on Wednesday. He gave up two earned runs on four hits while striking out two, taking a no-decision in a 9–3 defeat.
The Texas A&M product struggled this regular season after a good 2024. In 18 starts, he went 4-6 with a 5.68 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings. He will oppose Toronto pitcher Kevin Gausman.
If Mariners fans have heard it once, they've heard it a thousand times: Seattle is the only MLB franchise never to have reached the World Series.