By ANDREW DESTIN
SEATTLE — Toronto’s bats roared to life with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer leading the charge, as the Blue Jays hammered five home runs to overcome an early setback, ultimately defeating the Seattle Mariners 13-4 on Wednesday night. This victory brought them closer at 2-1 in the AL Championship Series.
In the first inning, Julio Rodríguez launched a two-run homer off Shane Bieber, giving Seattle an early lead and igniting hopes of a sweep for the Mariners, who are eyeing their first World Series berth. However, Andrés Giménez ignited a comeback with a pivotal two-run homer in the third inning, part of a five-run surge against George Kirby.
The Blue Jays saw long balls from Springer, Guerrero, Alejandro Kirk, and Addison Barger, collectively smashing 2,004 feet of home runs amid their 18-hit onslaught.
Guerrero, who had been hitless in the previous two games, bounced back impressively with four hits, missing just a triple to complete the cycle.
“Vladdy was obviously amazing,” Springer remarked. “As a team, it was a solid all-around performance, and now we’re focusing on the next game.”
A crowd of 46,471 at T-Mobile Park for Seattle’s first home ALCS game since 2001 saw the teams combine to match the postseason record of eight combined home runs, set by the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis in Game 3 of the 2015 NL Division Series and matched by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston in Game 2 of the 2017 World Series.
Giménez hadn’t homered since Aug. 27 before his drive off a fastball from Kirby, who allowed eight runs, eight hits and two walks, taking the loss.
Kirby’s run-scoring wild pitch put Toronto ahead 3-2 and Daulton Varsho followed with a two-run double.
Springer homered in the fourth and Guerrero hit his fourth of the postseason for a 7-2 lead on the firsy pitch of the fifth.
Kirk added a three-run homer in the sixth and is hitting .413 (19 for 46) with eight RBIs in 14 games at T-Mobile Park.
Bieber, who got the win, pitched shutout ball after the first and wound up allowing four hits in six innings — the longest outing by a Blue Jays starter in seven postseason games.
“Obviously didn’t the start the way he would have wanted to, but that’s pretty much who he is,” Springer said. “He can battle back from anything.”
After the Blue Jays opened a 12-2 lead, Randy Arozarena connected in the eighth against Yariel Rodríguez for his first home run since Sept. 9 and Cal Raleigh, who led the major leagues with 60 home runs during the regular season, followed three pitches later with his third of the postseason.
Up next
Seattle RHP Luis Castillo, who pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief against Detroit in Game 5 of the Division Series, starts Thursday against RHP Max Scherzer. The 41-year-old, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, is 0-3 over eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series opener, and hasn’t started a game since Sept. 24.
