AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: MARINERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 13, 2025

Dan Wilson

Rogers Centre

Seattle Mariners

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Mariners 10, Blue Jays 3

Q. Dan, you've spoken about Jorge, obviously, and the positions that he's come through in, but what is it about him -- are you surprised or what's your reaction to the fact that he just continues to come up and not just get hits, but get RBIs in those moments?

DAN WILSON: Yeah, coming up huge in big moments. Just his at-bats have been so good, again, whether it's right-handed or left-handed. Tonight it was left-handed. I thought the at-bat there to get the three-run homer was a huge turnaround for us. We had kind of given up the lead. It had been tied up there again, and to get that three-run lead back was big.

That was just a great at-bat, getting in there and just doing what Polo does. He waits to get a good pitch and he puts a really good swing on it, and he's a tough out right now. It's been huge for us, and he's come up in situations where we've had guys on, and he's been able to do the job and drive them in. That's what this game is all about. It's been phenomenal.

Q. Just wondering, what was the key to battling any potential fatigue from the last series coming into this one? How did you handle that as well as you did?

DAN WILSON: A couple things, I guess. Nothing that -- I think our guys have proven over the course of the season to be very resilient. They're just kind of built that way, whether it's emotional or mental, whatever. They're just resilient and they bounce back. To get an emotional win at home like that and come back here on the road -- these guys were ready to go, and they knew we had more business to take care of.

Secondly, being out on the West Coast, you travel a lot. It's just part of the deal. I think in some ways, they're maybe a little bit used to those longer flights and having to deal with some of the delays and whatever happens. But again, I can't speak enough to how resilient they are, how hard they fight, and it's been a big part of what we've been able to do all season long.

Q. Your bullpen, obviously Game 4 in Detroit falters and since then has been Nayls for three straight games plus with the 15 innings and taking you through some really hard times in terms of needing length, needing innings. What does that say about this group and the bounce-back there to be able to do what they've done?

DAN WILSON: Yeah, I thought it was just an outstanding job again tonight by the bullpen. Logan giving us three, and that was what we needed. Then you hand the ball to Bazardo who's been so solid, so consistent, all season long and gave us a nice bridge to get to the later innings, and then Vargy jumping on after we were able to take a lead. When you've got a guy like Vargy who's able to come in and throw 98, 99 miles an hour, that's a plus. He gave us two strong innings and turned it over to Emerson and another two strong innings.

Just an excellent job by the bullpen tonight. You can't ask for more than that, and these guys really delivered and gave us some strong innings tonight.

Q. It looked like Naylor had that uncomfortable at-bat. Did he have to say anything to you for you to keep him in the game?

DAN WILSON: Nayls is as tough as they come, and he doesn't want to come out. He doesn't want to come out. It's just a matter of making sure he's okay and good enough to play, and he was, and he was saying, I'm not coming out.

He's as tough as they come, literally, and for him to stick it out like he did tonight was phenomenal. And then later on to be able to get a pitch he was able to handle and drive it out of the ballpark is just a testament to how strong he is and how much he wants to win.

Q. You talk about that home run. What do you think that meant to him hitting it here?

DAN WILSON: It's got to feel great in front of the home folks. You know it feels good going around the bases. A lot of history here for him, and his family is here, so it's got to feel great.

But again, he's all about the team. He's all about winning. He's all about doing what it takes. Tonight was another example of that in a big stage.

Q. You obviously know what this means to the fan base and how starved they've been for a situation and opportunity like this. As you come back up 2-0, what's your message to the fan base as they get ready to come out for Game 3?

DAN WILSON: Yeah, we're super excited to get back home and keep playing baseball in front of -- in T-Mobile Park, and we know what that atmosphere is going to be like. We're so excited to get out there. The fans really have been so tremendous. You can't thank them enough for the force that they have been at the ballpark and at home. So we're looking forward to getting back and feeling that energy again in the ballpark.

We know we have work to do. These series take on a life of its own. We've got plenty of work to do and got to stay focused on where we're headed, and we know our fans will help us get there.