Blue Jays speak on eve of must-win Game 6

The Toronto Blue Jays’ season is on the line in Game 6 on Sunday as they are down 3-2 in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) against the Seattle Mariners.

Game 6 will be played at Rogers Centre with the first pitch just before 8 p.m.

The Blue Jays, looking to force a Game 7 on Monday, will give the ball to rookie Trey Yesavage.

The Mariners will counter with Logan Gilbert as they set their eyes on advancing to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

Both players last pitched in Game 2 of the ALCS, in which the Mariners beat the Blue Jays 10-3.

Toronto last played in the Fall Classic in 1993, which was also the last time they won the World Series.

On the eve of the must-win game, Blue Jays manager John Schneider and Yesavage spoke to the media.

Here’s what they said:

Update on George Springer

Schneider says Springer is feeling better today.

“He’s getting treatment. He’s going to be doing some stuff here in a little bit, probably moving around, but feeling a lot better than he did,” the manager said.

Springer was hit by a pitch in the knee on Friday and had to leave the game. Following the game, Schneider said Springer’s X-rays and CT scan were negative, and he had a right knee contusion.

When asked what Springer has to do to be ready tomorrow, the Jays manager said that when the outfielder tells him he is good to go, then he’ll be in the lineup.

“He’s played through a lot, probably more than you guys know this year, but over the course of his career, too. So just make sure that it’s not bothering him swinging and not bothering him running. But he’s a tough dude, so I’m hopeful and optimistic that he’ll be good to go.”

‘We got the series back here’

Asked how he manages the what-ifs that come with his decisions, Schneider said, “Every decision you make that doesn’t work out, I regret. No matter who it is, whether it’s a hitter, a pinch hitter, a pitcher, a starting pitcher, it’s part of the job.”

He added: “There’s what-ifs always, you know what I mean? There’s what-ifs always in this game. And I think that you learn from them. You trust your people around you when you are making decisions. You make them and you move on. That’s where I’m at with it. So, it sucks, we still took two out of three there. We got the series back here.”

‘I don’t think I made a mistake’

Asked if he still thinks the moves he made in the eighth inning of Game 5 were not a mistake, Schneider said he had all the information and “I don’t think I made a mistake.”

“I trust my players, I trust my players. And in hindsight, I had a couple of other options to do. That’s what I decided to do,” Schneider said.

“Players have to go perform. There is always risk when you put a player in a situation that he won’t get the job done; that’s part of the game.

“I stick by my players, I stick by my decision, I leave them behind me. I’ve learned that over the years, I’m totally focused on the game tomorrow.”

Schneider on Yesavage pitching must-win game

Schneider says he believes in Yesavage and has the confidence that the rookie will have the right mindset on Sunday.

“Over the course of his season, he’s pitched in a lot of big games. He’s pitched in big regular-season games, he’s pitched in big postseason games, and he’s handled himself well,” the manager said.

“I don’t wanna put all of the pressure on Trey. He’s the starting pitcher, we’re gonna have nine guys in the lineup that gotta do their job, and guys that gotta do their job on defence too.”

Game 6 plan

Schneider says everyone who is “physically available” will be in the bullpen on Sunday, including Max Scherzer.

“You’ll see some guys that you normally haven’t seen in the bullpen, and you try to pick the right spots for them, but want to try to operate as normal as possible,” Schneider said.

“But if situations pop up, I think everyone will be available.”

As for many innings he will let Yesavage pitch on Sunday, Schneider says it’ll be based on how the Mariners are swinging.

“You’ve got to see how the game unfolds a little bit. It’s not going to be a set script or anything like that. I think that in games that you have to win, you may be a little bit more aggressive. But at the same time, don’t want to deviate too much from what we’ve been doing,” the manager said.

Yesavage on another big game

“I’m attempting for it to be more normal, but every game has been a lot on the line with it, so just trying to make it as normal as possible,” he said.

As to what he enjoys about pitching in big games, Yesavage said, “Just all the work all season has led up to this moment. Not only for me, but for the team that has been doing it since March. And everything has led us to this point, and we’re able to show the world who we are. So, it’s special.”

Yesavage on pitching in postseason

When asked what he’s learned this postseason, the rookie pitcher who gave up five runs in the Blue Jays’ ALCS Game 2 loss said it’s being able to move on.

“I learned that it’s not just one game, because I have to come back out here and pitch Game 6, so being able to move on from a start, whether good or bad, and go out there and treat it like a new day,” Yesavage said.

The rookie pitcher added that mentally, he needs to treat Game 6 as if it’s a regular-season game.

“You can’t make it bigger than what you are used to and what it is,” Yesavage said.

The rookie pitcher later added that pitching in a postseason is an opportunity that does not come up very often, and he’s blessed to be in this situation.

“I not only want to win and keep playing for myself, but for the guys that have not seen this part of baseball before,” Yesavage said.

Yesavage on health

The rookie pitcher says he is physically doing well despite the long season, which began in the minors. He commended the organization that monitored his pitch count and innings throughout the season to ensure he was not fatigued.

“So I’m in a very good spot where I’m at,” he said.

Plan before Sunday

“I’m going to get in the training room and get prepped for everything I need for tomorrow to be feeling at my best. And just taking the night off, watching some football and not thinking too much.”

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