The Blue Jays kept their World Series dreams alive on Sunday by thumping the Seattle Mariners 6-2 inside a raucous Rogers Centre, to force a deciding seventh game in their American League Championship Series.
Home runs from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger, plus another sharp start from rookie starter Trey Yesavage, helped Toronto stave off elimination and tie the series 3-3.
Toronto will host Game 7 on Monday night. The Blue Jays aim to advance to their first World Series since 1993, while the Mariners are fighting for their first appearance in franchise history.
After losing two at home, then winning two of three out in Seattle, the Jays faced their first must-win game of this postseason on Sunday.
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They put their trust in 22-year-old Yesavage, whose popularity has exploded since he was called up to the big leagues just last month. In his second start of the series, and just his third-ever in the postseason on Sunday, he struck out seven Mariners over 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits while walking three.
Two of his punchouts came against Seattle’s star catcher Cal Raleigh. Yesavage and the Jays wriggled out of two bases-loaded one-out jams in the third and fourth innings. In three different innings, he got Mariners to hit into double plays to end an inning, then trusted in the gloves of quick-footed Toronto infielders, including a slick fielding play by Guerrero. Yesavage left in the sixth inning to another loud standing ovation. He earned the win.
“This was the most electric, energized crowd I’ve ever played in front of before,” said Yesavage.
The Jays’ bats were cracking all night, but they also took advantage of some uncharacteristic fielding blunders by Seattle.
The Jays created lots of traffic in the second inning and scored twice. Daulton Varsho doubled, Ernie Clement reached base on a fielding error by third baseman Eugenio Suárez , then Addison Barger lined into right field to bring Varsho home. Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a short effective chopper toward third that Suárez bobbled, as Clement snuck by and slid into home.
The Jays had another huge inning in the third. Clement clocked a triple off the wall, then Barger followed with a two-run homer.
“It felt awesome,” said Barger. “Obviously, that’s a moment you dream about as a kid.”
Guerrero put on another sensational playoff performance, going 2-for-4 from the plate, and sparkling on defence too.
A fifth-inning solo shot from the megastar – his sixth of this postseason – sent Rogers Centre into an ear-splitting frenzy. It also ended the outing for Mariners starter Logan Gilbert, who allowed seven hits and five runs over four innings.
Guerrero was also the sixth run to cross the plate, after a wild pitch by pitcher Matt Brash followed by a throwing error by Raleigh.
Guerrero now leads the postseason in multiple hitting categories, including homers (6) and hits (17) and RBI (12).
“He’s a game-changer in our lineup. He’s a spark plug to the rest of the eight guys in the lineup, and then on defence, he’s spectacular,” said Yesavage of Guerrero. “So having a guy like this in this clubhouse is one of the many reasons we are here right now.”
The Mariners scored a couple of runs in the sixth inning – enough to make Jays fans a little nervous. Josh Naylor from Mississauga, Ont. thumped a solo shot, and Suarez lined an RBI single.
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Raleigh, the favourite for the league’s MVP award, and slugger of Seattle’s game-tying homer on Friday, went 0-4 at the plate on Sunday.
Toronto’s Louis Varland struck out two in 1 1/3 innings of relief, then Jeff Hoffman struck out four over two innings to earn the save.
Shane Bieber will get the start for Toronto in Game 7. First pitch is at 8:08 pm ET. The Jays said everyone is available tomorrow. Seattle will give the ball to George Kirby.