"The assumption was Seattle's pitching staff, drained after an exhausting ALDS that concluded with a 15-inning Game 5 on Friday, would need at least Sunday's ALCS opening game to reset. But Mariners pitchers did not relent. Game 1 starter Bryce Miller set the tone, rebounding from a rocky first inning to give the Mariners six crucial innings. The bullpen starred in Game 2 when Eduard Bazardo, Carlos Vargas and Emerson Hancock each tossed two scoreless innings."
"The lack of competitive at-bats from the Blue Jays. Yes, the Mariners' pitching is very good. But the Blue Jays -- whose high-quality, work-the-count, spoil-pitches approach all season helped deliver them an AL East championship -- were practically tweaking to swing at Miller's pitches in Game 1 and weren't much better in Game 2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hitless. As are Daulton Varsho, Andres Gimenez and Davis Schneider."
"Four runs in two games is not going to do it against a lineup as deep as the Mariners' and with a pitching staff as susceptible as the Blue Jays' has proved this postseason. Castillo: Hitting home runs at T-Mobile Park isn't easy -- the Mariners hit 134 on the road and 108 at home -- but long balls are often the difference in October."
Both LCS series stand 2-0 after two games, with the Seattle Mariners leading Toronto and the Los Angeles Dodgers leading Milwaukee. Seattle pitching performed despite recent ALDS fatigue, with Bryce Miller delivering six key innings and the bullpen providing multiple scoreless frames. Toronto produced few competitive at-bats, leaving several regulars hitless through two games. Four runs in two games will be difficult to sustain against a deep Mariners lineup, and home run production could swing outcomes at T-Mobile Park, where the Mariners have hit more homers on the road than at home.
Read at ESPN.com
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