The Mariners didn\u2019t just steal Game 5, they stole the headlines too.<\/p>\n
With the Toronto Blue Jays now heading home on the brink of elimination after a late-inning collapse in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS), some U.S. media aren\u2019t holding back their praise for the Seattle Mariners. <\/p>\n
Seattle\u2019s five-run eighth inning quickly turned a 2-1 Blue Jays lead into a 6\u20132 loss Friday night, putting the Mariners just one win away from their first-ever World Series appearance.<\/p>\n
Last night\u2019s defeat marked a gut-punch for Toronto, as their first postseason appearance in nearly 10 years is now hanging by a thread \u2014 drawing a mix of awe and nostalgia from American commentators.<\/p>\n
Game 6 is set for Sunday night at 8:03 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre. <\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what some U.S. media are saying:<\/p>\n
\u2018Grand vibes only\u2019<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s front page of The Seattle Times sports section captured the mood in the Pacific Northwest with Eugenio Su\u00e1rez embracing a roaring home crowd. <\/p>\n
The photo splashed across the page under the bold headline \u201cGrand Vibes Only.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shared by Seattle Times designer and editor Rich Boudet, it quickly made the rounds online highlighting Seattle\u2019s rise and Toronto\u2019s fall.<\/p>\n
Full circle for Su\u00e1rez<\/p>\n
Retired Seattle Times columnist Larry Stone drew a nostalgic line between eras, posting a photo of Su\u00e1rez celebrating on the postseason podium with his daughters in 2022<\/a>, after a Wild Card win over the Blue Jays \u2014 and again three years later, in nearly the same pose.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a stud,\u201d one fan wrote beneath Stone\u2019s post, echoing the d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu and reaction felt across social media.<\/p>\n Geno and his daughters on the podium during the 2022 Wild Card Series after a win over Toronto, and again tonight, 3 years later, after another win over Toronto pic.twitter.com\/pAOKsjMJsf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Larry Stone (@StoneLarry) October 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018I bet you he just sleeps in his gear\u2019<\/p>\n Former Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, speaking on Fox Sports, praised Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh for his Game 5 performance. <\/p>\n \u201cHow good is Cal Raleigh. He\u2019s catching every inning, he\u2019s hitting home runs and then he bats right hand for the first time in the series and one swing, home run, tie game,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cI bet you he just sleeps in his gear and his uniform and just shows up the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018That\u2019s why they went and got him,\u2019 Ortiz says<\/p>\n Analyst David Ortiz highlighted Su\u00e1rez\u2019s acquisition as a decisive trade-deadline move that\u2019s now paying off.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why they went and got him \u2014 he went and showed his swing today,\u201d Ortiz said on Fox\u2019s postgame panel, pointing to his leadership and power in clutch situations.<\/p>\n The \u2018grand salami\u2019 headline<\/p>\n The Athletic headline went all in on Su\u00e1rez\u2019s heroics, calling his eighth-inning blast \u201ca grand salami.\u201d<\/p>\n See full article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018Late dramatics\u2019 headline the night<\/p>\n Over on MLB.com, reporter Bryan Hoch led his game recap with the headline \u201cafter late dramatics, Mariners 1 win away from 1st trip to World Series.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoch wrote that the Mariners \u201cregained control of this heavyweight matchup,\u201d a simple summation of how completive this series has been since Game 1.<\/p>\n See full article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n What to know ahead of Game 6 <\/p>\n The series now shifts back to Rogers Centre for Game 6 on Sunday, with the Blue Jays facing elimination and the Mariners looking to clinch their first-ever World Series berth.<\/p>\n Toronto manager John Schneider confirmed postgame that George Springer\u2019s X-rays were negative after being hit by a pitch in the seventh inning, though his Game 6 status remains unknown. <\/p>\n CP24 will have live coverage tomorrow from press conferences, to fan arrivals at the Rogers Centre, and score updates throughout the night. <\/p>\n Be sure to download the CP24 app<\/a> or visit CP24.com. <\/p>\n