JP Crawford held his arms in the air as he touched home plate after Jorge Polanco hit a game-ending single in the 15th inning. The disbelief turned into an exemplary run in the 4 hours, 58 minutes’ longest winner-take-all postseason game in baseball history as the Mariners poured out of the dugout to celebrate in front of a frenzied crowd of 47,025. With the 3-2 win Friday night over the Detroit Tigers, the Mariners advanced to the ALCS against the Blue Jays. But before they could fly to Toronto for Sunday’s opener, they had hit a snooze, literally.

After surviving a 15-inning thriller against the Tigers in Game 5 of the ALDS, the team now faces logistical headaches as it prepares to face the Blue Jays. As reported by the Mariners beat writer Ryan Divish, “The Mariners team charters out of Seattle have been delayed. They won’t get to Toronto till this evening. Obviously, they weren’t going to be working out today after the marathon Game 5.”

The Mariners left 12 runners on base and used three starting pitchers and still managed to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2001. It’s also their fourth trip in total. Already, the marathon victory left their bullpen and starters thoroughly spent. 

“It was such a tough night,” Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh said. “Everyone put their other stuff side and did everything for the team, including Logan and Luis.” Luis Castillo pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win in his first major league relief appearance. Logan Gilbert, another member of Seattle’s rotation, worked two scoreless innings in his first relief outing since his college days at Stetson University in 2017.

“Just an incredible ballgame from top to bottom,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Our guys will be ready. We’ll get there tonight, get some rest, and we’ll be ready to go.”

This disruption adds another layer of challenge to a team already operating on minimal rest. With Game 1 scheduled for Sunday evening at Rogers Centre, the Mariners’ preparation window is suddenly much tighter than ideal.

After ousting the Yankees on Wednesday, the Blue Jays rested on Friday to regroup and set their rotation. Yet, they, too, wished for a longer resting period. “Would have liked to have got out a little bit sooner, but we had a good night,” outfielder Myles Straw said of the late finish.

Toronto won four of six meetings with the Mariners during the regular season, losing two of three at home in April and sweeping a three-game series at Seattle from May 9-11. The teams haven’t faced each other since.

“It’s definitely a fun city,” Seattle star Cal Raleigh said of Toronto. “It’s a nice stadium, and they’re a good team. Always look forward to the challenge of playing them. Just always fun.”

However, with Wilson yet to decide on a lineup for Sunday, the upcoming schedule raises several questions. Will Bryan Woo be available to stabilize the rotation? How will Dan Wilson allocate innings among a heavily used bullpen? With Woo’s pectoral inflammation still a concern, the Mariners’ options are limited, making strategic decisions even more crucial.

A more detailed analysis reveals that the stakes are high. Even with travel delays and a depleted pitching staff, the Mariners’ hitters, led by Cal Raleigh, who boasts eight career homers at Rogers Centre, will need to deliver early to offset any pitching disadvantages.

The Mariners’ journey to the ALCS has been anything but smooth, but their resilience has become their trademark. From Jorge Polanco’s walk-off heroics to battling through exhaustion and travel setbacks, Seattle has shown it thrives under pressure. Mariners’ win at T-Mobile Park felt like a movie. Now, they have to hit a replay if they want to advance to the World Series. Can this battle-worn team turn adversity into fuel one more time? Stay tuned as October drama continues to unfold north of the border.