Blue Jays open series vs. Mariners in Seattle

Posted: Aug 13, 2021 / 3:29 AM MDT
/ Updated: 08/13/2021 / 03:29 AM MDT

When the Toronto Blue Jays travel to Seattle, it is often difficult to determine who the home team actually is.

Thousands of Blue Jays fans from across Western Canada flock to T-Mobile Park to cheer on their national team.

As Mariners ace Marco Gonzales put it in 2018: “I take that personally when a team comes in here and brings their loyal fans and their muddy shoes and stamps on our carpet and lands on our dining table.”

Only this weekend, the fans of the Blue Jays not only have no place at the table, but cannot even go into the house.

While Canadian officials opened the U.S.-Canada border to vaccinated Americans earlier this week, the U.S. has yet to retaliate due to a surge in coronavirus cases. The land border is closed to outsiders until at least August 21st.

That means the hosting Mariners could actually feel like the home team if they open a three-game series against the Blue Jays on Friday night.

Mariners manager Scott Servais was asked about his reaction to Gonzales’ comments at the time.

“Yes, let me see if my table is free,” said Servais, looking under some papers and laughing. “I thought it was a great line. It was the best line I’ve heard from any of our players (since I’ve been here). It was amazing.

“(The Toronto fans) were loud. … I do not like it. The players don’t like that. We have enough of it. But there is only one way to make it stop. “

Servais was referring to the win, but it turned out that there are two options – the second, of course, a global pandemic.

This weekend’s streak is important to both teams as the Blue Jays are 2 1/2 games back in the running for second and final wildcard playoff spot in the American League and the Mariners 4 1/2 games pending.

The Blue Jays were closed on Thursday evening in Anaheim, California, after a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels by Shohei Ohtani. It was only the fourth loss for Toronto in their last 16 games.

Despite a strong offense, the key to the Blue Jays’ recent run was their pitching. Upon entering the game on Thursday, their starters were 9-1 with a 2.16 ERA in their last 15 games.

“If your rotation is working, we feel at the clubhouse and during the game, especially early on, that if we put a few runs on the board, we’ll be in good shape,” said Blue Jay pitching coach Pete Walker said. “It’s just a level of comfort where you don’t have to put too much pressure on yourself.”

Toronto’s left-hander Robbie Ray (9-5, AL lead 2.90 ERA) is due to start the series on Friday against Mariners right-hander Chris Flexen (10-5, 3.81).

Ray is 1-1 with 3.91 ERA in four career starts against Seattle. He beat the Mariners 9-3 on June 29 in Buffalo, NY, when he allowed three runs with five hits and 10 strikeouts in six innings.

Flexen started that game against Ray, his only previous appearance against the Blue Jays, but made no decision as he gave up three runs with seven hits in five innings.

The Mariners have won two in a row, including a 3-1 decision against visiting Texas on Thursday afternoon when Gonzales pitched a two-hitter and JP Crawford and Jake Fraley hit solo home runs.

–Field-level media