Mariners proving rest is highly overrated in the playoffs

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The fatigue and worn-out arms that predicted the Seattle Mariners after their 15-inning Game 5 win in last Friday's ALDS decider somehow didn't match the Seattle charter.

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Instead, it was a fresh, newly energized Mariners club that arrived in Toronto and now leaves with a comfortable 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven ALCS with the Blue Jays.

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Mississauga native Josh Naylor said the thought of fatigue never crossed his mind, no matter the 15th inning marathon or how many pitchers were forced to face the Blue Jays on short rest to start this series.

For reference, that number currently stands at two after Logan Gilbert gave the Mariners three innings in yesterday's eventual 10-3 win. That followed a six from Bryce Miller in the first.

“I think in these moments in the playoffs you can’t get tired,” Naylor said. “Every game matters. Every pitch matters. Every opportunity matters, so you have to be able to turn the page quickly. You have to find a way to get the energy because you need to win.”

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Naylor admitted that's not always the case during the regular season.

“Yes, you might have an extra inning and then you'll have to travel and you'll end up in a different location, maybe across the country, maybe change time zones, and yes, maybe fatigue can set in.

But I think in the playoffs, and this is probably true for both sides and probably all teams in the playoffs, you have to be willing to find energy in any way and in any way, or, then it's just an excuse, and you don't want to use excuses in those situations. They are too important.”

Naylor, who had what felt like two full groups rooting exclusively for him on his 3-for-4 day, including a homer and two runs brought home, certainly didn't look tired.

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Neither did Gilbert, or indeed any of the members of the Mariners' bullpen who worked so hard just to get Seattle into the ALCS and who had already combined to pitch nine scoreless innings in just the first two games of this series.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson was probably the least surprised of all to see his troops not let some difficult circumstances involving travel, excessive use of weapons or even a lack of recovery time keep them from achieving their goal.

“I think our guys have proven to be very resilient throughout the season,” Wilson said. “They're just built that way, whether it's emotional or mental, they just bounce back. To get an emotional win at home like that (the 15-inning ALDS clincher in Detroit on Friday night) and come back here on the road, they were just ready to go.

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“And being on the West Coast, you travel a lot,” he said. “It's just part of the deal. So I think in some ways they're just used to longer flights and have to deal with any delays or anything else that might happen.”

“Again, I can’t describe how resilient they are, how hard they fight, and that’s a big part of what we’ve been able to do all season.”

Even before Game 2, there was a thought that there might be some fallout from all the energy the Mariners expended to get to the qualifying point in the ALCS.

He didn't show up in the first game, that's for sure, but maybe he'll catch them in the second game.

That idea didn't last long Monday afternoon when the Mariners pounced on freshman phenom Trey Yesavage in a three-run first inning and then got another three, four innings later after the Jays tied the three scores.

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The Jays had no other answer, but the tireless Mariners still didn't stop punishing the Jays' bullpen with four more runs to put the scoreboard in double figures.

The Mariners now head home, needing just two wins in their next three games in Seattle to advance to the World Series and avoid a return trip to Toronto.

As a group, despite the stunning success they have achieved in the two matches here, they are well aware that the work is far from done.

“We know we have some work to do,” Wilson said. “These shows take on a life of their own and we know we have a lot of work to do and we need to focus on where we're going and we know our fans at home will help us get there.”

Game 3 is Wednesday night, with first pitch at 8:08 p.m.

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