Game Notes, 10/12/2025 – LCS Day 1

Let the historical records show that as of today, there are 89 pitchers in postseason history that can stake the claim to at least 10 starts and that right-hander Aníbal Sánchez is one of them.  Let the organizational impulses show that there are 26 pitchers to have at least 10 postseason starts and a sub-3.00 ERA; Sánchez can wriggle into this collection as well, thanks to his 2.93.  Among his 10 starts (he also made one relief appearance) a couple of Game 1s exude a  particular glow.  

As a 29-year-old in 2013, he took the ball for the Tigers in the ALCS, stared down a Red Sox team that during the regular season led the AL in runs, doubles, extra-base hits, total bases, on-base percentage and slugging and limited that machine to no hits and no runs over six innings (he also fanned 12).  Six years later, another LCS beckoned and the 35-year-old, the old man on a Nationals starting staff seeking to spur the club to the franchise’s first pennant, pitched and pitched and pitched until there were two outs in the eighth inning and his work was done, a superb effort showing just one hit and no runs allowed.  

In so many ways, this sort of flourish was the narrative core of the Sánchez experience.  When he was on, look out (or tune in).  In the regular season, five career complete games allowing one hit or no hits, tied for the 20th most in the Modern Era … a 17-strikeout game on his ledger to offer something of a different taste.  

This is the kind of potential that is made for a set-the-tone and jump out early kind of Game 1 start.  

*Mariners v. Blue Jays, Game 1*

Opening the ALCS on the road, the Mariners stifled the Blue Jays to the tune of two hits (a homer and a single) and came away with a 3-1 win.  

~Since 1985, when the LCS was expanded to be a best-of-seven series, road teams in Games 1s of this round are 36-43.  Road teams who won Game 1 went on to win the pennant 21 times.  

~During their four-game barrage against the Yankees in the 2025 ALDS, the Blue Jays averaged 8.5 runs scored, 12.5 hits and 5.3 extra-base hits per game.

In the Game 1 win, Bryce Miller (6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R) and three relievers combined on the two-hitter and established a new postseason low for the franchise.  Before this win, the floor had come in at three hits allowed, in Game 3 of the 2000 ALDS (a 2-1 win against the White Sox) and in Game 2 of this year’s ALDS, when they edged the Tigers, 3-2.  

~The Mariners join four other teams to open an LCS by allowing two-or-fewer hits.  Curiously, all of these hit-pinchers did their work on the road.   Some details on the others:

→The 1978 Yankees go into Kansas City and come out with a 7-1 win.  Jim Beattie (5.1 IP) and Ken Clay (3.2) combine on a two-hitter.

→The 2013 Tigers travel to Boston and emerge with a 1-0 win.  Aníbal Sánchez (6.0 IP) starts and allows no hits and the four relievers combine for one hit allowed.  

→The 2019 Nationals travel to St. Louis and come out with a 2-0 win.  Aníbal Sánchez (7.2 IP) and Sean Doolittle (1.1 IP) combine on a one-hitter, with Sánchez surrendering the knock.

→The 2022 Phillies go into San Diego and come out with a 2-0 win.  Starter Zack Wheeler (7.0 IP) and two relievers combine to allow just one hit.

~Miller became the fourth Mariners starter to record a win in any Game 1, following Bob Wolcott (1995 ALCS),  Freddy García (2000 ALCS) and Luis Castillo (2022 ALWC).   Across the game, there are 12 starters who have as many Game 1 victories as the Mariners franchise combined.  

Most Game 1 Starts/Wins

7    Justin Verlander

5    Red Ruffing, John Smoltz, CC Sabathia, Clayton Kershaw

4    Whitey Ford, Jack Morris, David Wells, Chris Carpenter, Jon Lester, Cole Hamels, Madison Bumgarner

Cal Raleigh homered and singled in the win.  The longball gave Raleigh two this postseason and three in his career, with the three matching him with Álex Rodríguez and John Olerud for the fourth most in Mariners history.  Jay Buhner and Edgar Martínez are tied for the most, with eight apiece, followed by Ken Griffey, Jr. and his six.

~Mariners Game 1 Homerers

1995 ALDS    Ken Griffey, Jr. (2)

1995 ALCS    Mike Blowers

1997 ALDS    Edgar Martínez, Jay Buhner, Álex Rodríguez

2000 ALDS    Joe Oliver, Edgar Martínez, John Olerud

2000 ALCS    Álex Rodríguez

2022 ALWC   Cal Raleigh

2022 ALDS    J.P. Crawford, Eugenio Suárez

2025 ALDS    Julio Rodríguez

2025 ALCS    Cal Raleigh

Toronto’s George Springer led off the bottom of the first with a homer.  It’s the second time in his postseason career he’s opened the first inning with four-bagger, after his jack in Game 5 of the 2020 ALCS.  With the two, he’s the 10th player to do this multiple times.  

Most Career Leadoff Home Runs in the Postseason

5    Kyle Schwarber

3    Derek Jeter, Jimmy Rollins

2    Brady Anderson, Johnny Damon, Ángel Pagán, David Freese, Shohei Ohtani, Michael Busch, George              Springer

~Springer became the first Blue Jay to homer to lead off a first inning in the postseason.  

~Springer joined the Cubs’ Bob Dernier (1984), the Orioles’ Brady Anderson (1997) and the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber (2023) as leadoff batters to homer in the first inning of an LCS Game 1.

~Blue Jays Game 1 Homerers

1989 ALCS    Ernie Whitt

1992 ALCS    Pat Borders, Dave Winfield

1992 WS       Joe Carter

1993 ALCS    Paul Molitor

1993 WS       Devon White, John Olerud

2015 ALDS    José Bautista

2016 ALWC   José Bautista, Edwin Encarnación

2016 ALDS    Melvin (B.J.) Upton, José Bautista

2025 ALDS    Alejandro Kirk (2), Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.

2025 ALCS    George Springer

~Springer’s 21st postseason jack broke him out of a tie with Derek Jeter and into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time list.  He’s now one shy of matching Bernie Williams.  The run driven in on the swing also moved him into a tie with Álex Rodríguez, Lance Berkman, Aaron Judge  and Yordan Alvarez for 19th all-time, everyone having 41 RBI.  The swing and trot also gave Springer 48 runs scored in his postseason career, pushing him out of a tie with Rickey Henderson and into sole possession of 14th place; in this category, he’s three shy of tying David Ortiz. 

Thanks to a pair of RBI singles, Jorge Polanco drove in two runs – the second time in the 2025 postseason he’s generated a multi-RBI line (he hit two solo home runs in Game 2 of the ALDS). The second baseman is one of nine Mariners to have two such lines in a postseason and the first since 2001, when David Bell, Edgar Martínez and Mark McLemore all did it.  For all players regardless of uniform, David Freese’s seven multi-RBI games for the 2011 Cardinals are the most.  

Randy Arozarena stole two bags and now has three steals for the 2025 postseason.  Vince Coleman has the most thefts in one postseason for the Mariners (five in 1995), followed by Joey Cora (three in 1995), Ken Griffey, Jr. (three in 1995), Ichiro Suzuki (three in 2001) and now, Arozarena.

Thanks to Baseball Reference and its extraordinary research database, Stathead, for help in assembling this piece.