ALCS Game 2: Mariners trust Logan Gilbert to deliver knockout blow

TORONTO — When Logan Gilbert walked from the bullpen at T-Mobile Park last Friday night in the 10^th inning of Game 5 against Detroit, he was unaware that fire was shooting into the sky on either side of the doorway to the bullpen.

He saw the video later. It looked cool. To the point that before Game 1 of the ALCS on Sunday night, Gilbert joked that from now on he was only going to pitch if fire was included.

He won’t be getting a fire-framed entrance Monday when he starts in Game 2 against Toronto. It’s unlikely the home team will be interested in providing such an elaborate display for the pitcher given the opportunity to take control of the championship series for the Mariners.

AL championship series Mariners 1, Blue Jays 0

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The decision to go with Gilbert is bold and a bit of a surprise. Gilbert threw more pitches than Luis Castillo did in the marathon 15-inning game and was already working on less rest after getting the start in Game 3 against the Tigers while Castillo started Game 2.

It’s clear the decision was made before the M’s went out and swiped the opener from the Blue Jays. Going with Gilbert was protection in case Seattle dropped Game 1 and provided the best opportunity to get out of Toronto with at least a split.

Now, that’s evolved. And going with Gilbert gives the M’s the best chance at a knock out the Blue Jays might not be able to recover from.

“We talked about it today, and they basically just asked me if I was good to go. Of course I said yeah right away,” Gilbert said. “They wanted me to see how I felt in catch play, if my arm felt normal, and it did.”

Consider that 93 times in playoff history teams have taken a 2-0 series lead. Of those, 78 have gone on to win the series. The last time a team dropped the first two games of a series at home and came back to win the series was the 1996 World Series where the Yankees lost the opening two games at home to Atlanta before rattling off four straight wins.

So it can happen. But not often. Which is why Game 2 is such a significant chance for the Mariners.

“It’s a big opportunity. We don’t have to change anything. Come in here with the same mentality, try to take the second one and go to Seattle,” third baseman Eugenio Suárez said.

Nevertheless, it’s still a big ask of Gilbert to turn around less than 72 hours after throwing 34 intense pitches over two innings of relief. That outing came three days after he threw six innings and 85 pitches in a Game 3 victory in Detroit.

Gilbert’s weekly routines between starts are notorious. But in the playoffs, those have mostly gone by the wayside. It’s rest, recover, throw a little and get as ready as possible to be used. In his mind, and that of manager Dan Wilson, what Gilbert threw against the Tigers amounted to a midweek bullpen.

“I think the outing the other night in the 15-inning game was really a good side day for him,” Wilson said after announcing the decision. “The way we’re looking at it is he took a side session in the game with 40,000-plus people there. He’s ready to go. He’s excited. He wants the ball.”

In his career, Gilbert’s made six starts against the Blue Jays. To be honest, the numbers aren’t great. He’s 0-2. His ERA is 5.24 and his WHIP is 1.427, fourth-highest of any team he’s pitched against.

When he pitched at Rogers Centre against the Blue Jays back in April, Gilbert needed 102 pitches to get through 4 2/3 innings. The M’s won’t allow him to go that far on Monday, but thanks to the performance of Bryce Miller in the series opener, the bullpen has a few more rested arms that can pitch in.

And it sets the M’s up to have Castillo pitch at home for Game 3 on normal rest inside the ballpark where he threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 2 of the ALDS against Detroit and during the regular season had a 2.60 ERA at home.

The opportunity is there. For Gilbert and the M’s.

“It was kind of unusual circumstances a few days ago, but I don’t know, I treat it as a bullpen or very high-intense bullpen, and hopefully just be feeling good, ready to go,” Gilbert said.