Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers will be waiting for the victor of tonight's crucial Game 6 of the American League Championship Series between the Blue Jays and the Mariners at the Rogers Centre (8:03 p.m. EST).

After a terrifying injury, Springer is back

George Springer's return to the starting lineup is the Jays' main takeaway.  That's surprising because it appeared as though Springer's chances of making an appearance in Game 6 would be slim after he took a 96-mph fastball off his kneecap late in Friday's Game 5.

However, he is at DH at the top of the order in the Jays' just revealed lineup for tonight.  This is significant news because Springer was the Jays' MVP last season and one of the most prolific batters in the American League overall.

When it comes to their professional sports teams, Canadian sports fans experience unparalleled emotional fluctuations, as we reported on Friday.  Since Friday's 6-2 loss in Game 5 in Seattle, which gave the Mariners a 3-2 series lead, there have been gloomy skies.  In a few hours, the Mariners can punch their ticket to the World Series with a victory.

Schneider's decision in Game 5 drew criticism

In the eighth inning of Game 5, with a 2-1 lead against league MVP favorite Cal Raleigh, manager John Schneider made the strange decision to send in reliever Brendon Little, which has understandably drawn criticism from all throughout the nation.  With late-game closers Jeff Hoffman and Seranthony Dominguez in the bullpen, the Jays faced Raleigh and the center of the Mariners' order in a power-on-power, best-on-best matchup. You go best-on-best in such situation, and if you lose, at least you gave it your all, as TV hosts were saying.

For the past two months, Little had been mediocre at best. According to Caleb Joseph, a former player and TV announcer, Little's body language going out of the bullpen showed a lack of confidence that the Mariners exploited.  The doubt was palpable.  After Raleigh parked a Little fastball into the left field seats, Little walked two players before passing the ball to Dominguez, who allowed Eugenio Suarez to hit a grand slam to seal the Mariners' victory.

The Dodgers and Ohtani Await the Victor

Because of Schneider's foolish choice to stick with Little, Blue Jays supporters went from the emotional high of Max Scherzer's courageous victory in Game 4 to the highest point of fear.  Schneider was not helped by his defensive, profanity-filled post-game press conference.  Neither Joseph nor Joe Siddall, a former player who is now a broadcaster, have ever shown me such rage.  Another former player and current commentator, Kevin Pillar, was also dissatisfied with Little's choice.

With six outs remaining, the Jays led 2-1 after tying the series, but the Mariners quickly gained the upper hand.

Yesavage Aims To Recover

Schneider led the squad to 94 victories this season and is a contender for manager of the year.  However, Sam Mitchell, who was fired 17 games into the 2009 season, was once named coach of the year by Toronto's NBA franchise, the Raptors, during the 2006–07 season.  Those honors are meaningless.  Schneider's actions on Friday night were grounds for termination.

For the past 24 hours, Schneider has been steadfast in his defense of his Little choice.  Schneider stated, "I think you just have to be very prepared, very convicted in a decision, and trust the people around you that have helped you get to this point," during today's pre-game press conference.  After making a choice, you proceed.

“You know, I’ve lost plenty of sleep over the last couple of years about things that haven’t gone right, and I don’t gain sleep when things do go right, you know what I mean? It’s just you realize this is the position you’re in, and you’re trying to do what’s right by the group.”

Guerrero Jr. in tears

With Game 7 scheduled for tomorrow night in Toronto, it will be interesting to see if the Jays can turn things around tonight.  It would seem improbable for a top home club like the Blue Jays to lose three games at home (the Jays lost Games 1 and 2 at home).  Additionally, Logan Gilbert, the starter for the Mariners, throws better at home (2.24 ERA, .158 opponent batting average, and.512 OPS) than he does away from home (4.74, .261, and.767).

Let's hope that's Little's final appearance with the Jays.  Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker will quickly move to the bullpen if starter Trey Yesavage falters.  In Game 2, the Mariners battered the rookie up for five runs before chasing him off the mound in four innings.  Will Chris Bassitt, a former starter who is now a reliever, eventually fit in there?

The Betting Favorites: Jays

Additionally, Vladimir Guererro Jr., who is having a tremendous postseason with a.457 batting average, a.524 on-base percentage, a.971 slugging percentage, and five home runs—including going 7-for-11 with five extra base hits during those three games in Seattle—has been unstoppable by the Mariners.

A brief look at the sportsbooks a few hours prior to kickoff:

Blue Jays -130, Mariners +100, Jays spread -1.5 (+165), Mariners +1.5 (-200), and O/U 7.5 are the moneyline at ESPN Bet.  Mariners +107, Jays -125 on the ML, Mariners +1.5 (-230), Jays -1.5 (+175) on the spread, and the O/U 7.5 are the numbers at BetRivers.

Raleigh 1+ Home Runs, Guerrero Jr. 1+ Hits, Guerrero Jr. 2+ Total Bases, Raleigh 1+ RBIs, and Yesavage 6+ Strikeouts are the most popular bet player markets at DraftKings.