#Mariners vs #Tigers ALDS Game 5 Preview w/ Jordan Shusterman | #SeattleSports

#Mariners vs #Tigers ALDS Game 5 Preview w/ Jordan Shusterman | #SeattleSports

Yahoo Sports. Jordan Schustman joining us now on the Emerald Queen Casino Sportsbook hotline. And Jordan, I was listening this morning on my way in to baseball Barbie cast. And I was listening to you and Jake talk about um Seattle’s loss to Detroit. And one part of the conversation struck me, which is when you guys were debating, you know, when do you point to a manager or how much can you really point to a manager in any game, but especially a postseason game when so much of it is also on player execution and uh pitch placement and swing decisions and all of that. Um it’s hard here uh not to talk about Dan Wilson. It’s his first postseason. Um there’s been some critiques over the season just to wonder, god, is is AJ Hinch winning this? But uh I’ll start with the manager conversation. To what extent did you see Dan Wilson as in any way responsible for what happened yesterday for Seattle? I think it was a lower percentage and I think you know the context that we were kind of bringing that up and and and it’s hard and I think that again the postseason is is when managers really take center stage and I think when you have such a sharp contrast like we have in this one just based on the experience it’s a it’s an easy talking point. But I also think a relevant one, right? Um I think in the case of the game yesterday, I again like Dave Spire’s been nails and sometimes your good players don’t perform like good players and that’s as bad as as you’re going to see him. I mean, it was just from a pitch location, pitch execution standpoint, it just wasn’t anywhere close to good enough. And it’s disappointing and and it’s a lot harder for I know fans our inclination is is often times to to want to blame the manager or blame the front office or whatever. like sometimes the players aren’t aren’t good enough and and Gabe Spy will be the first person to tell you that. It’s a disappointing outcome, but in that case, I think yeah, he was in the spot in the game at the right time. What do you think about this matchup coming up on on Friday? It’s uh schoolable. You’re trying to beat him for the fourth time, but you are at home. The Mariners have had a lot of success at home. Who needs to shine on Friday for these guys to get it done? Yeah, I mean, however, however they decide to roll out the pitchers and and that that’s where again Dan Wilson’s going to come back into it. Now, obviously, they are going to have maybe not a scripted plan for how the game is going to go, and that’s why because you can’t do that in these postseason games, and it’s very clear that you have to be able to make tough decisions when the game and the script does not go accordingly. That said, they’re going to have some sort of sort of idea how they want to use Kirby, how they want to use Castillo, and those two pitchers are going to are going to have to show up because, as we also kind of talked about on the show today, I I mean, can they get to Scoob? Yes. Are they going to blast Scooble out of the ballpark? That just seems unrealistic. So, I expect it to be another tight game like the first two and they’re just going to have to come up with a big hit, which of course they were able to in game two, were unable to in game one. They’re going to have to do it in game five if they’re going to move on. I think fans were probably encouraged to hear many of the Mariners beat reporters yesterday tweet, “Hey, the clubhouse is actually pretty optimistic. They’re really hungry. They’re looking at game five.” like you’d think it would be somber given, you know, just the absolute beatd down from uh from Wednesday, but they’re all pretty uh pretty excited about game five. Um I think that that was a good tone to read about obviously. What do you think might be giving those players a lot of confidence heading into this one? Yeah, this is something that I’ve thought about a lot, not just in the in this specific case, but as I’ve, you know, had the the the privilege of being in these clubouses after after tough games, after close games, and it really is amazing how these teams are able to kind of turn the page. And in some times, a case like this, it’s interesting because that that game yesterday was kind of both. On one hand, you could say, oh, you were dominating for four innings, you could see the finish line and and then it all fell apart. The other way you could say is when it just when the Tigers just roll like that and everything goes wrong after those innings, it’s almost easier to kind of put that aside as opposed to, you know, a game the game one loss, you know, the close loss where it really lingers and you’re thinking about this one that one moment. Yesterday it was just the Tigers day and I think they feel good going back home. They feel confident because they’ve had the success against uh to a degree and I think that they just they just feel good about their chances at home which you could understand why that’s the case. They’ve won a lot of games there recently. What’s the evolution of Dan Wilson been like? What have you seen? What are you learning and what do you think he’s learning throughout this whole process? Yeah, it’s a it’s it’s a great question. I think that he is I I will say that you you definitely notice in game and this was true even over the last couple weeks of the regular season. I mean just I think more emotion publicly. I think just the his reactions to some of the successes on the field has been a lot more uh v vis like just visible. was like, “All right, he’s he’s really feeling this in the same way.” But I think he’s the first to to tell you that he’s figuring out as he goes, too. Obviously, he has, you know, a coaching staff that has been through some of this more more recently. Um, but I don’t know. I I think again, every move is going to be magnified. And like I I keep repeating it, but it’s just a contrast. I mean, the way that AJ Hinch talks about managing postseason baseball is above, forget just Dan Wils. I mean, he speaks about it in more uh specific and eloquent and just detailed ways than really any manager we we really have in today’s game. And so that that’s what really stands out. But hey, they’re both former major league catchers. They they both, you know, got here in very different ways and and we’re going to see what uh what both of these guys have for this for this upcoming game. Uh it feels silly asking about a bat that’s going to be especially relevant against the best pitcher in the postseason. But that being said, is there a bat you look at with Seattle where you go, God, like if if this guy has a great game, I feel so much better about Seattle’s chances. Yeah, I mean, honestly, I think because he didn’t really do much in Detroit, but obviously what he was doing in in at home is is just back to Julio, right? We’ve talking about him all year. Uh I am also still waiting for that big Randy moment. He’s been kind of uh you know he let off the game against Google with with a hit. So maybe he he’s got a big swing in there. You know the right on left matchup. But yeah, Randy and Julio I think at the top of the lineup are are the ones I’m watching. You know Cal has has been steady all throughout. I expect him to continue to to give some some quality at bats. And I mean obviously the Palano at bats are going to be absolute theater tomorrow at the very least based on what happened in game two. So, but yeah, Julio and Randy are the ones I’m I’m really really thinking a lot about uh for both of those guys. You know, you want you you get Randy for these moments and and then of course Julio who showed up big in those first couple games. Can Can you kind of turn it back on in front of the home crowd? I would not be surprised whatsoever. Hey, what did you think about uh Miller’s performance yesterday? [Music] I honestly exact everything you could ask for. You know, I I know that you leave him in there to face Dingler. Dingler had crushed the ball in his first at bat to center and maybe you worry maybe that’s a moment where you say ah Dingler looked pretty comfortable and then he ultimately starts that rally there when he faces him a second time but you know going into the game I mean if you said he was going to pitch into the fifth I I think you’d have to be feeling pretty good about that and so it’s been a really tough year for Bryce Miller the fact that he even had to step on the in the situation because of Woo’s injury um is is a difficult spot for him and just knowing Bryce Miller the the character the personality, someone who’s beloved in that clubhouse almost as much as anybody. It’s disappointing the way that that game unfolded because again, it really looked like we were setting up for the story to be about him in a positive way if he was able to, you know, get through that inning unscathed and then the bullpen could could shut it down. But obviously, it wasn’t to be. But that effort was still important. I I think for him to even get that deep into the game, I think was was impressive all things considered. Hey, I got a big picture question that’s going to uh ultimately ask you to kind of um you know talk about your outlook for Seattle in 2026. By no means do I want to eulogize a season that could for Seattle still have two big series here. So uh that’s not like the direction that I want to head in, but I was thinking about this a lot yesterday just based on not only the way I was feeling. And I’m a local so that you know um or that a lot of the tone that I saw from fans. But uh Jordan, if you watch the broadcast for two seconds, uh you would hear them mention at some point that Seattle’s the only team to never be to a world uh be in a World Series. Um uh obviously hasn’t been in this place for for 24 years. There are generations of fans, an entire fan base that’s never seen a World Series, but generations that um have experienced uh playoff baseball for the first time. So, I think that there is an anxiety that exists with some like have nots in baseball of oh my god, what if we don’t get back here? And while you have the Yankees that are looking at like playoff or excuse me, World Series droughts, there is no doubt that they will spend there is no doubt that they will that the expectation will be to get to a World Series to get through the playoffs. I think that what a lot of Mariners fans, Jordan, might be feeling right now as they head into a pivotal game five, which they can still win, is oh my god, what if this is it? What if they don’t get back next year? What if this is the best that we see for a long time? So, I guess even though we’ll talk more when the season ultimately does wrap, whenever that ends up being, I wanted to ask about just your overall outlook for this club and maybe in the hopes, right, that like there’s some positivity or optimism. Yeah. Oh, I mean, I still think there’s there’s serious reasons to expect this team to be very good again next year, however the offseason shakes out. I mean, there are so many serious building blocks in place that there just not a lot of teams that that can lean on, and that’s on both sides of the ball. And and there’s certainly been some questions and certainly some of the injuries that they’ve dealt with this year on the mound have have kind of shown some cracks in that. But we know how strong the farm is. We know we know that they have Julio and Cal in place. And that alone, I mean, Julio and Cal alone as your position player core, like just just stop right there. That is so much better than what so many other teams can lean on that I think that you can’t lose sight of that. But the opportunity is still there. I think that that they have a great chance to win this game and and and finally, you know, put that that tagline that that common refrain that you hear on every broadcast, which by the way, I don’t blame them for saying that all the time because it’s a huge deal. I mean, that’s it’s it’s an easy fun fact, but it’s also a kind of a remarkable one, right? Because why does that fun fact hit so hard? It’s because teams that have only existed for 25 years have all managed to make it. Whether it’s the Rays and the Rockies have been there and the Marlins have been there and the Diamondbacks, you know, I mean, this is approaching a half a century of not being able to do it and and half most of the half a century of not even getting remotely close. And so I know that this is a fan base condition to assuming that they’re never going to get there again. But I also think that this team they’ve built up enough to believe that they should be contending for this uh at least for the foreseeable future because of the foundation that they have in place. But that is not to take this opportunity for granted whatsoever. Hey, what did you make of the uh the Blue Jays Yankee series? I love the celebration of uh Big Poppy and and Vlad um at the end of that one. Did that one pan pan out the way you thought? Uh, I mean, I was definitely one of the people who was who was falling for the Yankees talent, um, once they once they survived the Red Sox and just thinking, all right, you know, maybe they can they they do have enough to kind of get back at the Blue Jays for the regular season. Uh, and that was not to discount the Blue Jays because I I I’m believe that Toronto’s awesome. They earned that that division title, but man oh man, did they just just take it to him. I mean, this was not even Yes, you had that one big judge moment in game three, which which is of course going to going to linger, but the Blue Jays were a better team, and it wasn’t particularly close. I mean, they they have their weaknesses, too, and they they’re not, you know, infallible. But, man, did they exploit the Yankees weaknesses? They they leaned on their own strengths and they just took it to them. And they are really really fun, balanced team. and we’ll see, you know, if if the Mariners are able to advance, I think that would be an incredibly fun matchup because of some of the contrast and styles and just the personalities on on both sides of the ball. But Vlad Jr. is is a true delight. I mean, having him be a part of this postseason and really get to have his moment. When you think about what he’s kind of gone through, not over just over the past year, but over his entire career, he is he is so much fun to watch. And I’m so glad that he’s kind of getting to to be center stage here because he’s earned it and and that whole franchise has. I know that postseason losses can come with heartbreak for a fan base, but they also come with really fascinating conversations. Sticking with that Blue Jays Yankee series, one of the ones that was being had by the broadcast crew afterwards was about how the Yankees were built, whether they were too reliant on the home run. I found it an interesting one because the Blue Jays out homerred the Yankees. Um, and I and I don’t know that that’s why New York lost, but I don’t know. What do you think? Yeah, I think that speaks more to uh it’s not that the Blue Jays can’t hit homers, it’s that the Yankees when you get into these playoff series and and and and I’ll be honest, like this is a very real concern with the Mariners as well. I I think that when you have and and you’re if they do advance, you’re going to hear very similar talking points because you could argue that the Mariners and the Yankees offenses in some respects are built in similar ways. I think the Mariners have a little bit more uh maybe it’s not quite as powerful, but it’s a little bit more diverse in terms of the speed and and some of the the left right components, but it’s the same kind of thing. You know, there is still a good good amount of three true outcome, you know, walk strikeouts and homers. I think with the Blue Jays is is the Yankees clearly in these shorter series, a lot of their hitters, it is it’s just not an approach that is necessarily conducive for for high stakes uh situations. Whereas, yeah, over the course of a full season, you’re going to put up some pretty good numbers and win a lot of games. But if you got teams that know how to game plan against you and know how to know how to execute and, you know, even you’re going to have games like game three where it all, you know, falls apart and, you know, the Yankees score a bunch of runs, like that’s going to happen. But the Blue Jays just executed and their offense is maybe a little bit of a higher floor, especially for for big games like this because they don’t strike out. They’re they’re going to put the ball in play. They’re going to be able to, you know, situationally hit. So, I would expect that to remain a a pretty big story line. And honestly, even if Detroit advances, too, because they they also clearly are are have in some cases for the most part until yesterday struggled in a lot of those spots to kind of have productive at bats throughout these postseason games. All right, last one. Just a quick one here, but you’ve got three more series continuing. Obviously, Detroit and Seattle. Game five is going to be on Friday. In the meantime, uh the Cubs have forced game four. The Phillies force another. Is there a series between these two? NLDDS uh ones that you’re especially looking forward to. Yeah. So, I’m excited to just sit on my couch and enjoy those two games tonight. Um and watch baseball. So, yeah, I should also Yes, exactly. I I should clarify because I talked about I I’m not coming to Seattle for for game five. If they do advance, I will be there next week. Um so, that would be or or in Detroit. We’ll see how that goes. But as for tonight, I mean, yeah, it’s Dodgers Phillies. I mean, listen, the Cubs and Brewers I I am enjoying for sure, but the star power for for Dodgers Phillies and and kind of the stakes for both of those franchises is extremely compelling. And uh if the Phillies can can force a game five for for how low the vibes were after game two, that would be quite the theater to see the Phillies back in Philadelphia on Saturday. So, that’s definitely the game I’m I’m most excited to watch tonight. Yahoo Sports. Jordan Schustman kind enough to join us on the Armo Queen Casino Sportsbook Hotline. In a very, very, very busy week and busy month for you, Jordan. Thank you. Thanks, Jordan. Thanks, guys. Always fun.

Senior MLB Analyst for Yahoo Sports Jordan Shusterman joins Michael Bumpus and Stacy Rost (Bump & Stacy) to discuss the Mariners dropping ALDS game 4 and heading into a winner-take-all Game 5 vs the Detroit Tigers in Seattle on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025.

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0:00 – Manager decisions in postseason games
1:50 – M’s vs Skubal in Game 5
2:50 – Why players have confidence heading into Game 5
4:13 – Evolution of Dan Wilson
5:25 – One bat to wake up
6:30 – Bryce Miller’s performance in Game 4
7:35 – Long-term outlook for Mariners
10:40 – Blue Jays vs Yankees series
14:10 – NLDS series outlooks

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