Shushkewich: Brash, Naylor help propel Mariners to ALCS
Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) pitched two scoreless innings in relief in the Seattle Mariners’ 3-2 series-clinching win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday.
October 11, 2025
By Tyson Shushkewich
Canadian Baseball Network
After a 15-inning pitching duel on the West Coast, the ALCS is officially set.
The Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays will face off in best-of-seven series, with Toronto looking to exact revenge for their 2022 playoff exit at the hands of the Mariners, while Seattle aims to make the World Series for the first time in franchise history.
There is a strong mix of Canadian flavour in this round of the postseason, especially since the only team playing north of the border is being featured.
The Blue Jays also boast one of the best Canadian players in the game with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who hails from Montreal, Que., from his dad’s playing days with the Expos. On the other hand, the Mariners are bringing two Canucks into the series, both of whom have played a key role in Seattle's advancement this far into the postseason.
Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) has starred at the plate and on the base paths for the Seattle Mariners since being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in late July. Photo: Seattle Mariners
The Mariners acquired Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) at the trade deadline to give their offence a boost down the stretch. A left-handed bat that can sling it at first base, Naylor provided the thunder at the plate that Seattle was looking for, posting a .299/.341/.490 slash line with 10 doubles, nine home runs, and a .831 OPS across 54 games with his new club.
For the year, he authored a career-high 3.1 bWAR while posting a .816 OPS and a .295/.353/.462 slash line across 147 games. He also stole 30 bases, demolishing his previous single-season high of 10.
The other Canuck featured on the Mariners is right-hander Matt Brash. The Kingston, Ont., product returned to the big leagues this season after sitting out all of 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Through 54 appearances this season, Brash has been one of the Mariners' most effective relievers, posting a 2.47 ERA and a 3.05 FIP through 47 1/3 innings. The slider-heavy hurler compiled an impressive 11.9 K/9 and a 1.246 WHIP this season.
Both players played a significant role in the Mariners securing the AL West top billing, and this postseason, they have continued to make it count when it matters.
Facing off against the Detroit Tigers, Naylor collected six hits in 23 at-bats while being featured in all five games. On top of dealing with the postseason madness, Naylor and his wife, Chantel Collado, welcomed their first child midway through the series. The Canuck was a potential scratch for Game 3, but was able to make it in time for the first pitch.
While Naylor went hitless through the first three games of the series, his ‘new dad energy’ was on full display through the remaining two games. He collected all six hits in the 10 remaining at-bats and was the pivotal opening run in the Game 5 contest.
He dunked a 100 MPH Tarik Skubal sinker to left field for a double and later stole third base, with the noise at T-Mobile Park helping the speedy infielder slip under the guise of Skubal. A sac fly from Mitch Garver would bring him home and give the Mariners the early lead.
Naylor was also part of a key Mariners’ run in the bottom of the seventh inning, hitting a single through the right side that moved Jorge Polanco into scoring position, who eventually made it home to tie the game at two (and eventually into extra innings).
Naylor wasn’t the only Canadian getting into the action. The Mariners called on Brash four times this series, with the right-hander coming into various situations to help keep the game close.
Brash allowed just one hit, two walks, and one earned run for a 1.93 ERA across the small sample size. All but one walk came in the October 5 outing at home, with Brash battling through the inning of work but eventually earning the win thanks to a Mariners run in the bottom half of the frame to take the lead.
Brash also played a key role in the Game 5 victory, with the Canuck entering the game at the top of the sixth inning right after fellow reliever Kyle Finnegan surrendered a two-run shot that gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead. He would immediately get Spencer Torkelson to strike out swinging to end the frame, and returned for the top of the seventh, where he pitched a clean inning. He would get Colt Keith to chase a changeup down in the zone before getting Zach McKinstry and Dillon Dingler to line out to the outfield, respectively.
The Mariners staff was impressed by what Brash was doing on the mound, and he returned for the top of the eighth inning, where he continued his dominance. He got Parker Meadows to ground out to shortstop before getting Javier Baez to fly out to centre field. That would be his last batter, as closer Andres Munoz would be summoned from the game.
With the Tigers now in the rearview mirror, the Mariners will set their sights on recovering from the five-hour mayhem from Friday night and look to make franchise history with this ALCS berth. They don’t have the home advantage with the Jays boasting a better record, as well as the numerous Canucks who will travel to Seattle to watch the games.
However, you can bet that both Naylor and Brash will have family in attendance at the Rogers Centre, and a couple of Canadians might have a soft spot for the Mariners this series, even with the Blue Jays taking part in the ALCS matchup.