Blue Jays Clinch AL Pennant with 6-2 Win Over Mariners

The Toronto Blue Jays clinched the American League pennant on Sunday, October 19, 2025, routing the Seattle Mariners 6‑2 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The win snapped a 32‑year World Series drought and set the stage for a showdown with either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the New York Mets in late October.

Game Overview

From the first pitch, the atmosphere was electric. An announced crowd of 48,723 braved a chilly 12 °C (54 °F) evening, chanting “​Blue Jays!​” as the home team took the field. Toronto entered the night holding a 3‑2 series lead, so a win would seal the AL title. The Mariners, fresh off a 90‑72 regular‑season campaign that earned them the AL West, needed a miracle.

Toronto’s starter, right‑hander Jordan Romano (Markham, Ontario), delivered a solid six‑inning effort, allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out eight. Seattle’s ace, left‑hander Luis Castillo (Caracas, Venezuela), was tagged for three earned runs in four innings before the bullpen took over.

• Final score: Blue Jays 6, Mariners 2
• Attendance: 48,723
• Toronto starter: Jordan Romano – 6 IP, 2 R, 8 K
• Seattle starter: Luis Castillo – 4 IP, 3 R, 4 K
• Series result: Blue Jays win 4‑2

Key Performances

While Romano anchored the pitching, the spotlight fell on the lower half of Toronto’s batting order. Ernie Clement entered the game with a postseason batting average of .429 and made it count. In the third inning, he rolled a grounder to third‑baseman Yenio Suarez, who mishandled the ball for an error, allowing Clement to reach base and eventually score on a sacrifice fly.

Across the plate, “Mitch Marshall” – the Blue Jays’ designated hitter – snapped a slump on a fastball in the fifth inning, sending a towering drive to center that slipped out of the grasp of Mariners outfielder Juan Rodriguez. The misplay put two runners on and set up a four‑run inning that broke the game open.

Toronto’s veteran outfielder Daulton Varsho added a two‑run double in the seventh, cementing the lead. The younger crowd‑pleaser, shortstop J.P. Crawford (Dominican Republic), went 1‑for‑3 for Seattle, but his solo homer was little more than a consolation.

Mariners' Defensive Woes

Seattle’s defense crumbled at crucial moments. Suarez’s error was the fourth miscued play by the Mariners in the series, a stat that broadcasters highlighted as “uncharacteristic for a player with his experience.” Later, a misplayed relay by Rodriguez after Marshall’s hit turned what could have been a routine out into an extra‑base opportunity for Toronto.

Those lapses added up. The Mariners committed a total of eight errors across six games – the highest error total by any ALCS team in the past decade. The series‑long trend of misplays was a stark contrast to Seattle’s 90‑win regular season, where they posted a league‑best fielding percentage.

What the Win Means for Toronto

Beyond the trophy, the victory grants the Blue Jays home‑field advantage for Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 of the World Series, should the series extend that far. That translates to a potential 2‑2‑2 split of home games at Rogers Centre, a venue where Toronto posted a 57‑22 record this season.

For a franchise that hasn’t reached the Fall Classic since 1993, the emotional payoff is massive. Fans in the Greater Toronto Area flooded the streets after the final out, waving Canadian flags and chanting “​Go Jays!​.” The run‑drought ending also carries financial weight – the estimated revenue boost from World Series home games exceeds $30 million, according to MLB’s market analysis.

Path to the World Series

Toronto now turns its gaze west to Los Angeles, where the Dodgers await, or east to New York, where the Mets are positioned to claim the NL pennant. The NLCS is set to wrap on Monday, October 20, 2025, with the World Series slated to begin on Friday, October 24, 2025, at Dodger Stadium if the Dodgers win, or at Citi Field if the Mets prevail.

Regardless of the opponent, the Blue Jays will rely heavily on their late‑order production. Clement, Varsho, and Marshall have collectively driven a .312 batting average in the postseason, a figure that dwarfs the league average of .245. If the pitching staff can replicate Romano’s six‑inning dominance, Toronto stands a solid chance of breaking a 32‑year championship drought.

Historical Context

The 2025 ALCS marked Seattle’s first playoff series victory since 2022, but the team fell short of its long‑standing goal: a World Series appearance. The Mariners haven’t made the Fall Classic since 2001, the last time they reached the World Series as a wild‑card. For Toronto, the 1993 ALCS win was the franchise’s most recent pennant, achieved behind the power of Joe Carter and the iconic “​Jays Fly Club​.”

Both clubs have built their rosters around a blend of home‑grown talent and smart international signings. The presence of Canadian‑born pitcher Romero and Venezuelan ace Castillo underscores the increasingly global nature of baseball talent pipelines.