The Blue Jays walked into the American League championship series against the Seattle Mariners with almost all the advantages they could have possibly hoped for.
The Mariners were fewer than 48 hours removed from a 15-inning marathon victory over the Detroit Tigers in the AL division series. Three of their starters were required to get through that Game 5, which meant they didn’t have one to use on normal rest vs. the Jays.
Then there were the fatigued bats. The Mariners made a cross-country flight to the west coast and then back east within the span of three days. They didn’t touch down in Toronto until Saturday night because of a delayed flight.
The Jays didn’t have to worry about any of those inconveniences as they were relaxed and rested after disposing of the New York Yankees