Wannan yaƙi ne na ban mamaki tsakanin masu kalubale 2 da kuma gwajin ƙarshe a ƙarƙashin hasken wasan kwaikwayo na bayan kakar. Gamuwa tsakanin Seattle Mariners da Toronto Blue Jays a Gasar Cin Kofin League na Amurka ta 2025 ba a yi tsammani ba, kuma duk lokacin kakar, shi ne haɗin gwiwa mafi ban mamaki tun daga farko, tun lokacin da aka fara horon bazara.

Seattle, wanda ya buɗe kakar a matsayin dogon zango na +2500 don cin nasara gaba ɗaya, ya ba duniya wasan baseball mamaki ta hanyar tsallake ALDS a cikin wasanni 5 masu tsanani tare da Detroit. Toronto, wanda aka sanya farashi a 6000, ya yi watsi da duk wani tsammani, ya haɓaka daga mai neman matsayi na tsakiya zuwa wani mummunan ƙarfin da ya karya Yankees har suka yi kasa a gwiwa. Wasan 1 a Rogers Centre ba shi kawai wani wasan playoff ba ne, kuma yaƙi ne tsakanin ƙungiyoyi 2 da aka gina daban-daban amma kuma an haɗa su ta hanyar imani, juriya, da ƙarfin wuta.

Masu tsara jadawali sun kafa mataki tare da Toronto a matsayin wanda aka fi so da -162, yayin da Seattle ta shigo a matsayin wanda aka yi hasashen tare da +136, wanda ke nuna yanayinsu na yanzu. Blue Jays sun sami lokaci kaɗan na hutawa kuma yanzu suna cikin koshin lafiya, kuma suna matukar sha'awar ci gaba da nasarar su tun lokacin da suka ci Yankees cikin wasanni 4 kawai. A gefe guda, Seattle dole ne ta dogara da jajircewarsu kawai don shiga wannan jerin wasannin bayan kakar bayan wani mummunan nasara da aka yi a wasa na 5 na mintuna 15. Wurin ajiyar masu jefa kwallon ya gaji, kuma tsarin masu fara jefa kwallon yana da iyaka, amma duk da haka, ruhin kungiyar bai karye ba. Idan gajiya ta taɓa haɗuwa da imani, wannan shine gwajin. Ƙididdiga ta sama/ƙasa an saita su a 8 gudu, kuma saboda kyakkyawan dalili, waɗannan mahara 2 na iya kunna kowane allo lokacin da suke cikin tsari.

Duk da rashin dacewa a takarda, Seattle Mariners suna girma saboda rikici, kuma sun yi haka duk lokacin kakar. Babban gwarzon su na bayan kakar shine ba wani ba face Cal Raleigh, babban dan wasan da ke jagorantar manyan wasannin da suka yi 60. Rabin wasan Raleigh (.381 AVG, 1.051 OPS) yana karatu kamar lambar makirci. Kowace bugun da ya yi yana jin kamar canjin yanayi.

Amma damar Seattle ta wuce wani bugun. Julio Rodríguez, Eugenio Suárez, da Randy Arozarena har yanzu ba su yi cikakken haskawa a Oktoba ba, kuma wannan shine abin da ke sa su zama masu haɗari. Idan har ɗayan waɗannan masu bugawa suka sami hanyar su a yau, faɗin Toronto zai iya gushewar da sauri.

Kalubalen Mariners? Juriya ga gajiya. Bayan amfani da masu jefa kwallon 6 a wannan nasarar da aka yi da Detroit, za su dogara sosai ga Bryce Miller (4-6, 5.68 ERA), wani matashi mai haske tare da alamomin haskakawa amma kuma hanyar rashin tabbas. Haɗuwa ta baya ta Miller da Toronto ba ta da kyau—gudu 7 masu cin gudu a wasanni 5, amma ayyukan fansar ana yin su ne don Oktoba. Labarin Seattle ba game da kasancewa mafi kyawun ƙungiya a takarda ba ne. Yana game da kasancewa wanda ba zai daina ba, ko da kuwa yawan jama'a ko kuma yadda kididdigar ke daure.

Idan amincewa na iya buge ƙwallo, Toronto zai yi bugun grand slams a duk wannan makon.

Sarrafa ta Blue Jays ta kasance mai tsawo. Sun karya Yankees da jimillar gudu 34 a wasanni 4, suna nuna haɗin ƙarfi, haƙuri, da kuma daidaituwa. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ya kasance mutum mai cin wuta, yana cin .529 tare da gida 3 da 9 RBIs a wannan kakar bayan wasanni. Buga nasa yana haskakawa sosai, wanda irin wannan ne ke canza sakamakon wasan a bugu ɗaya.

Amma Toronto ba wasa ɗaya ba ne. George Springer, Ernie Clement, da Daulton Varsho suna buga komai a idanunsu, duk suna da ƙididdigar OPS sama da .900. Har ma ɗan wasan baya Alejandro Kirk ya shiga wajen bugawa da gida biyu na bayan kakar. Sannan akwai Kevin Gausman, bugun zuciyar wannan ƙungiyar masu jefa kwallon. Wannan babban mai jefa kwallon dama ya kasance mai dogaro, yana bayar da ERA na 3.59, WHIP na 1.06, da kuma strikeouts 189 a lokacin kaka. A cikin wasan sa na karshe na bayan kakar, ya sanya Yankees shiru da gudu 1, hits 5, da kuma cikakken sarrafawa. A gida, Blue Jays ƙungiya ce daban. Sun yi nasara a wasanni 6 a Rogers Centre, kuma tare da masu sauraron Toronto suna ta ihu, suna neman su sami damar samun motsi tun farkon wannan jerin wasannin.

Ga Toronto:

• Kashi 59.8% na nasara lokacin da aka fi so a wannan kakar (87 wasanni 52).

• Rikodin 24-5 a matsayin masu fi so na -163 ko sama da haka.

• Sun rufe rata a 7 daga cikin wasanninsu 10 na ƙarshe.

• Biyar daga cikin wasanninsu 10 na ƙarshe sun wuce adadin da aka tsara.

Ga Seattle:

• Kashi 50% na nasara a matsayin masu sa ido (50 wasanni 25).

• 2-1 a matsayin masu sa ido a waje a cikin wasanninsu na playoff na ƙarshe 3.

• 5 daga cikin wasanninsu 10 na ƙarshe sun cim ma adadin.

• A tarihi, Ƙari ya faru a 7 daga cikin haɗuwarsu 8 na ƙarshe tare da Toronto.

Samfurin 'Yan Wasa masu Zafi:

• Cal Raleigh: Gida 5 a wasanni 6 na ƙarshe vs. Blue Jays bayan hutawa.

• Julio Rodríguez: Ninka a wasanni 4 daga cikin wasannin playoff na ƙarshe 5 a matsayin mai sa ido.

• Bo Bichette: Jerin bugawa na wasanni 21 a gida vs. masu adawa na AL.

• Kevin Gausman: 7+ strikeouts a wasanni 9 daga cikin wasannin sa na gida 10 na ƙarshe vs. AL West.

Akwai kididdiga, Toronto tana da dukkan damar:

A gefe guda, Seattle tana jagorantar gasar a gida (238) kuma tana matsayi na 3 na farko a sata (161). Suna iya canza gudunsu cikin sauri, samar da gudu lokacin da babu bugun dogon zango.

Duk da haka, muhimmin abin da ke damun shine juriya na Bryce Miller. Tare da iyakacin hutu da ERA mai ban tsoro, zai buƙaci ya tsira daga farkon innings ba tare da barin Toronto ta fashe da harin ba. Idan Miller zai iya ba Seattle 5 innings mai kyau, kungiyar ajiyar Mariners na iya sa abubuwa su zama masu ban sha'awa.

• Kididdiga: Toronto Blue Jays 5, Seattle Mariners 4

Wasan za a cike da ji, amo, da canjin yanayi a duk lokacin. Seattle za ta fara da kuzari, amma sabon kungiyar Toronto da kungiyar ajiyar da aka yi amfani da ita yadda ya kamata za su kasance masu mulkin filin a karshe.

Buga na Blue Jays yana da zafi sosai, kuma tare da Gausman yana jagorantar, Toronto ta shirya yin jini na farko a Wasan 1 na ALCS. Duk da haka, tsammani Seattle za ta matsa musu har zuwa iyaka. Ba su zo wannan nesa don su tafi shiru ba.