They are two teams forever linked by history.
They've only met in the postseason just one other time, three years ago.
Now, they will meet for a berth in the World Series.
The Seattle Mariners punched their ticket to the American League Championship Series, but needed 15 innings to get there, as they eliminated Detroit in 5 games, more than 48 hours after the Toronto Blue Jays had dismissed the Yankees in 4.
More than 24 hours after the Philadelphia Phillies had been eliminated in the National League Division Series, it was a pair of former Phils, Jorge Polanco & JP Crawford, who got Seattle to the next round.
That only adds to the Phillies' miseries, if you're a long time fan of theirs.
Tomorrow night, the Mariners & Blue Jays, two teams who entered the AL together in 1977, will play for the AL title in the first of 7 games maximum. Toronto won 4 of 6 in the regular season, and the ALCS will open at Rogers Centre, where Seattle won 2 of 3 back in April. The teams have not faced each other since May, after Toronto swept the Mariners in Seattle.
AL home run champ Cal Raleigh has only hit one homer in the playoffs so far, but the Mariners are going to need more thunder against Toronto. The Mariners' ace, George Kirby, likely will pitch in game 4 on Wednesday at home.
All the motivation that Toronto needs comes from George Springer, who won a couple of titles with Houston. Getting to this round, though, is why the Blue Jays signed Shane Bieber away from Cleveland in the offseason, but he has not been effective, as the Yankees knocked him around in game 3 of their ALDS.
At the end of the day, however, it is Seattle's year. At least in the American League. National League? We'll see.
The pick: Seattle in 6.
Of course, I could be wrong.
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