Series Preview: Mariners (79-70) vs Blue Jays (81-68)

At a Glance:

*Game odds courtesy of FiveThirtyEight (Explainer)

Hello there; the Mariners don't suck, but they play a team that also doesn't suck for a chance to go to the playoffs. Life is awful. If the M's can't take two-of-three against the Jays, their playoff chances are effectively nil.

The Blue Jays:

The Blue Jays have been struggling recently. Their playoff odds were 95% as of August 29, but today they sit at 67%. At this point, they won't even host the one-game Wild Card play-in.

Key Players

Jose Bautista is pretty good, as is Edwin Encarnacion, Michael Saunders, Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki, Kevin Pillar, Devon Travis, and Russell Martin. It's almost like this dumb Canadian team is super talented or something, and I blame socialized medicine.

Estrada works with a fastball-changeup combo and isn't afraid to attack the top of the zone. He'll groove one every once and awhile, which the Mariners will have to capitalize on.

Remember bad J.A. Happ? He's not that anymore.

Sanchez has figured out how to be a starter, and there was some mid-season Cy Young buzz surrounding him that has since largely flown away.

The Big Picture:

The AL West

The Wild Card Race