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ALCS X-Factors to watch

USAT’s Gabe Lacques shares the biggest x-factors that could play important roles in the ALCS as the Blue Jays take on the Mariners.

Sports Pulse

The most significant road block standing between the Seattle Mariners and a commanding lead in the American League Championship Series is a rookie making his fifth career major league start. 

Trey Yesavage, called up in September and already a Toronto folk hero after dominating the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series, will start Game 2 for the Blue Jays, who are desperately in need of a split at home before the ALCS moves to Seattle for Games 3, 4 and 5. 

Yesavage pitched 5 â…“ no-hit innings and struck out 11 Yankees and now, he’ll be opposed by Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert. Seattle can only hope to keep up the pitching excellence it flashed in Game 1, when they suppressed Toronto after George Springer’s leadoff home run to prevail 3-1. 

Since 1985, teams that have won Game 1 of a best-of-seven ALCS have gone on to win the series 61.5% of the time. 

What time is Mariners vs Blue Jays game today?

Game 2 of the ALCS begins at 5:03 p.m. ET on Monday, Oct. 13.

Where to watch Mariners vs Blue Jays: TV channel, live stream

Game 2 will air on Fox and Fox Sports 1 and can be streamed with Fubo.

Watch ALCS live on Fubo

Randy Arozarena (R) LFCal Raleigh (S) CJulio Rodríguez (R) CFJorge Polanco (S) 2BJosh Naylor (L) 1BEugenio Suárez (R) 3BDominic Canzone (L) DHVictor Robles (R) RFJ.P. Crawford (L) SSGeorge Springer (R) DHNathan Lukes (L) RFVladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1BAddison Barger (L) 3BAlejandro Kirk (R) CDaulton Varsho (L) CFErnie Clement (R) 2BDavis Schneider (R) LFAndrés Giménez (L) SS

Trey Yesavage, who will start Game 2 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners, began his press conference in advance of that outing decrying the attacks and negativity on loved ones since no-hitting the New York Yankees for 5 ⅓ innings in just his fourth big league start.

“Living in this world where there’s so many different opinions and feelings which results in a lot of hate, it’s sad to see that people close to me are being attacked for my performances on the field,” Yesavage told reporters. “These people have done nothing to warrant negativity for my actions, whether that’s my parents, my brothers, my girlfriend, family. It’s just really sad.

“I know I have the platform to address it, so I am. I hope that people can realize that those individuals have nothing to do with what happens on the field or whatnot.

“If you have a problem, I’m a man; I can take whatever opinions anybody has about me or my life. So I just wanted to get that out there.” — Gabe Lacques

Seattle is one of five teams that has never won a World Series title and is the only club in Major League Baseball that has never even reached the Fall Classic.

The Mariners came into existence in 1977 and didn’t make the playoffs for the first time until 1995. This year marks Seattle’s fourth appearance in the ALCS after losing in 1995 (Cleveland), 2000 (Yankees) and 2001 (Yankees).

The Toronto Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993.

They defeated the Atlanta Braves in six games in 1992 for their first title and then beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six to repeat, clinching on Joe Carter’s walk-off home run.