Game 3 in Seattle promises to be raucous, hostile -- and Bieber can't wait

TORONTO – For the second time in as many starts, Shane Bieber is leading the Blue Jays into a hostile environment. Last week, it was Yankee Stadium in the American League Division Series, where the Bronx fans supplied their trademark blend of enthusiasm and venom as background noise for the right-hander’s first postseason start following right elbow surgery.

Now Bieber and his teammates are headed for Seattle, where nearly a quarter-century has passed since the Mariners’ last appearance in the American League Championship Series. T-Mobile Park promises to be rocking on Wednesday night, and it will fall upon the former AL Cy Young Award winner’s shoulders to restore order with Toronto trailing, 2-0, in the best-of-seven series.

“I love it. It's cool. It's something to embrace,” Bieber said Monday. “Ultimately, not many people get the opportunity to pitch in the playoffs – in the ALCS – in what's going to be a great environment in Seattle. So I'm excited for it.”

This is the type of assignment the Blue Jays had in mind when they acquired the 30-year-old Bieber from the Guardians on July 31, surrendering right-handed pitching prospect Khal Stephen, who was ranked No. 5 in Toronto’s system by MLB Pipeline and was in the midst of a breakout season.

At the time, Bieber was still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, performed in April 2024. Having pitched in meaningful games since late August, he jokes there are still times when his body “doesn’t really know what’s going on,” part of the adjustment process to a reconstructed ulnar collateral ligament.

While Bieber’s start Oct. 7 in New York didn’t last as long as he’d have hoped – just 2 2/3 innings in a game the Yankees rallied to win, 9-6 – he said a video review of the start revealed encouraging signs.

“I watched that outing back a few times. I was relatively happy with how I executed,” Bieber said. “I thought a couple different pitches and being a little bit sharper in certain situations could have had the game go a different direction, but ultimately, you can't really dwell on that.

“You've got to focus on what's coming next. I kind of just dove into my work over the past few days, and I’m excited for the opportunity on Wednesday. Ultimately, I think from an execution standpoint and how I felt like the ball was coming out of my hand, I was happy with it.”

Staked to an early lead by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s two-run homer into the visitors’ bullpen, Bieber surrendered an unearned run in the home half of the first inning – a frame extended when second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa booted a Ben Rice grounder. Giancarlo Stanton followed with a run-scoring single.

Bieber carved through the bottom third of the order in the second inning, striking out two, but he yielded a pair of runs in the third as New York trimmed what had been a 6-1 deficit. Aaron Judge stroked a run-scoring double, Stanton lifted a deep sacrifice fly and Bieber received an early hook after a two-out walk to Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Toronto manager John Schneider said he sensed Bieber was “having a little bit of trouble missing bats,” prompting the pitching change. But Schneider expressed confidence that the story will be different in Seattle.

“He’s a guy you rely on, you count on, you trust,” Schneider said. “Exactly what we thought when we were acquiring him at the Deadline. I’ve got all the trust in the world in him to go out and just pitch his game. He's fit right in since we've acquired him. He's just another one of those guys that I think can handle big moments.”

Bieber understands he’ll need to be sharp to contain a Mariners lineup that he describes as “extremely balanced.” One recent wrinkle: Bieber has unexpectedly struggled against right-handed batters.

During the regular season, righties knocked Bieber for a .297 average (22-for-74) and a .936 OPS, with lefties producing a .156 average (12-for-77) and a .434 OPS. In the ALDS, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he believed that was a quirk related to sample size.

“I understand in the short time at the back end of the season, he's been a reverse split. Throughout his career, he's been very neutral,” Boone said. “Some years one way, some years the other. I feel like he's very similar to that.”

In the ALDS, Bieber leaned heavily on his slider against right-handers – 53% sliders vs. just 26% fastballs – a big jump from his regular-season mix. It was the right call against a Yankees lineup whose right-handed bats punished righty fastballs (a .520 slugging percentage, best in MLB).

That’s less of a concern vs. Seattle, whose righties ranked near the bottom in average and slugging against those four-seamers but have struggled to hit righty sliders this postseason (.182 average, 44% whiff rate entering Game 2).

Against lefties, Bieber flipped his usual mix, throwing more changeups than curveballs. That approach worked against the Yankees, but Seattle’s lefties whiff more against right-handers' curves (38% regular-season rate, 0-for-9 with six K’s vs. righty curves in the playoffs entering Game 2).

The changeup might be safer, but the curveball gives Bieber more swing-and-miss potential – suggesting a return to his regular-season plan makes the most sense.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Bieber in Toronto. He has a $16 million player option for next year, which he’s likely to decline, pursuing a multiyear deal in free agency.

Bieber said he has enjoyed his experience with the Blue Jays, calling the transition “seamless” since leaving Cleveland. Wednesday evening will present an opportunity to deliver what he was imported to do: pitch Toronto to victory in arguably its most important game of the year.

“I think we all know, as starting pitchers, we’ve got to go out there and empty the tank,” Bieber said. “You don’t want to step off that mound with excess energy. So I think what that means is, since there’s no guarantees, you’ve got to step on it from pitch one.”