The Toronto Blue Jays<\/a> hit themselves back into the series with a 13\u20134 win over the host Seattle Mariners<\/a> Wednesday night in Game Three of the ALCS. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/a><\/strong> led the way for the Blue Jays, reaching base all five times he batted \u2014 4-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, and a home run.<\/p>\n Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber<\/a><\/strong> recovered from surrendering a first-inning two-run homer to shut the Mariners down. Ultimately, Bieber allowed only the two runs on four hits across six innings, walking one and striking out eight. His strikeouts matched his postseason career high.<\/p>\n \u201cAs good pitchers do,\u201d Mariners manager Dan Wilson<\/a><\/strong> said of Bieber in the postgame press conference, \u201cthey get more comfortable. They get settled in, their command comes back, (and) their stuff comes to ’em. It looked like he was able to get comfortable, get into a bit of a rhythm, and find his secondaries. Once that happened, they were able to get the lead. Then he was able to protect it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Mariners jumped out to an early lead for the second game in a row. It came with a no-doubt, one-out, two-run homer to left-center by Julio Rodriguez<\/a><\/strong>. Jorge Polanco<\/a><\/strong> one-hopped the next pitch into the stands in right-center for a ground-rule double. He ended up stranded on second, ending the first with the Mariners holding a 2\u20130 lead.<\/p>\n The Blue Jays took the lead in the top of the third off Mariners starter George Kirby<\/a><\/strong>. They tied the game with a two-run homer to right-center by Andres Gimenez<\/a><\/strong> with nobody out. After the Blue Jays loaded the bases with two outs, Kirby uncorked a wild pitch as Daulton Varsho<\/a><\/strong> batted, bringing in the go-ahead run. Varsho rubbed salt in the wound with a two-run double off the wall in right. When the dust settled at the end of the half-inning, the Blue Jays had sent nine men to the plate, cracked five hits, scored five runs, and taken a 5\u20132 lead.<\/p>\n In the top of the fourth, George Springer<\/a><\/strong> extended the lead to 6\u20132 with a two-out solo homer to dead center, the 22nd of his postseason career. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. repeated the feat to lead off the fifth, making the score 7\u20132. When Anthony Santander<\/a><\/strong> followed with a walk, Kirby\u2019s outing ended.<\/p>\n Carlos Vargas<\/a><\/strong> relieved Kirby but did little to stop the bleeding. He allowed Santander \u2014 an inherited runner \u2014 to score on a two-out single by Ernie Clement<\/a><\/strong>. In the sixth, Vargas gave up back-to-back singles before yielding to Caleb Ferguson<\/a><\/strong>, who allowed a run-scoring groundout for the first out of the inning. After intentionally walking Guerrero before striking out Myles Straw<\/a><\/strong>, he coughed up a three-run bomb to Alejandro Kirk<\/a><\/strong>, and the rout was on. Two runs from the four-run sixth belonged to Vargas; the other two went to Ferguson. That was statistically important \u2014 what was more important in the grand scheme, however, was that the Blue Jays now held a 12\u20132 lead.<\/p>\n The Mariners cut into the deficit in the bottom of the eighth off Yariel Rodriguez<\/a><\/strong>. They did so on back-to-back one-out solo homers by Randy Arozarena<\/a><\/strong> and Cal Raleigh<\/a><\/strong>. Addison Barger<\/a><\/strong> joined the home run party in the top of the ninth with a no-doubt solo shot to right. That brought the score to its final state of 13\u20134.<\/p>\n The Mariners pounced early and put the Blue Jays in a hole.<\/p>\n Lost in the Blue Jays\u2019 offensive showcase was that the Mariners got eight hits of their own. Normally, this would be a cause for celebration.<\/p>\n Unlike his previous starts this postseason, Kirby was shelled in this game. In four innings-plus, he allowed eight runs on eight hits, including three homers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe executed a really good game plan and approach against him,\u201d Blue Jays manager John Schneider<\/a><\/strong> said in the postgame press conference, \u201cknowing that he’s going to come right after you. It’s the difference between trying to put the ball in play and trying to do some damage. That was the adjustment we were shooting for today.\u201d<\/p>\n In the first, second, and seventh through ninth innings, the Mariners outscored the Blue Jays, 4\u20131. However, in the middle four innings, the Blue Jays held a 12\u20130 advantage. In those middle four, they smacked 13 of their 18 hits.<\/p>\n Every Mariner reliever gave up runs, making their already slim chances to come back even more remote.<\/p>\n According to Statcast, the Blue Jays entered this game batting .174 on sinkers (8-for-46) in the postseason. Kirby threw them 29 sinkers in this game. The Blue Jays took 11 for balls, took seven for strikes, and fouled off five. On the remaining six, they got a hit \u2014 two singles, two doubles, and two home runs. Not once did they swing at a Kirby sinker and miss.<\/p>\n This made their batting average against Kirby\u2019s sinkers .375 (6-for-16). Against Vargas, they were 3-for-5 (.600), and against Ferguson, they were 2-for-4 (.500). Overall, they batted 11-for-25 with two doubles and two homers against Mariner sinkers \u2014 a .440 average with a .760 slugging percentage.<\/p>\n The Blue Jays pummeled 18 hits Wednesday night, 10 more than the first two games of this series combined<\/em>.<\/p>\n Bieber responded to the first-inning home run and follow-up double by retiring 17 of the next 19 batters he faced, striking out eight of them.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter (the double), I felt like I had good stuff tonight,\u201d Bieber said in the postgame presser. He later added, \u201cObviously, it was an unfortunate start, but I came into the dugout and told the guys, \u2018Pick me up, I got good stuff tonight.\u2019 They definitely listened and picked me up in a huge way. So I was able to go back out there in that second inning [and] kind of reestablish what I wanted to do. So I felt like even though we were down, we were able to grab some momentum. This game is so momentum-based, so we didn’t really look back after that. It was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n Very little. This was a complete victory. There were two blemishes, however. One was falling behind in the first inning. The other came when one of their relievers gave up runs, something the Blue Jays have struggled with. This marked the sixth consecutive game in which at least one Blue Jays reliever gave up one or more runs. The last time the entire relief unit combined to hold an opponent scoreless was Game One of the Division Series against the New York Yankees<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels great, obviously. But for me, it’s just about winning. I’m very happy that we won the game. I never think about myself \u2014 I think about the whole thing. We just won the game, and I’m very happy for it.\u201d \u2014 Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. on his offensive performance<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHopefully it gives us some momentum. This team has played us really well over the course of the time that I’ve been here in this seat. So to break through feels good. And to have the guys be convicted in an approach and to see it come to fruition, I think can be valid going into tomorrow. But it’s a whole new test tomorrow against (Luis) Castillo.\u201d \u2014 Blue Jays manager John Schneider<\/em><\/p>\n Teams with a 2\u20131 series advantage in a seven-game postseason series have gone on the win the series 108 of 153 times (70.6%). In the League Championship Series, that number is 46 of 62 (74.2%). \u2026 The last team to win the first two games on the road in a seven-game postseason series but ultimately lose the series was the 1996 Atlanta Braves<\/a>. They bowed to the New York Yankees, four games to two, in the 1996 World Series. \u2026 The only AL team to win a seven-game ALCS after falling behind 0\u20132 and winning Game Three was the 1985 Kansas City Royals<\/a> \u2014 against the Blue Jays. In that series \u2014 the first-ever best-of-seven ALCS \u2013 the Royals also became the first team to overcome a 1\u20133 LCS deficit to win the series.<\/p>\n Rodriguez\u2019s home run was his third of this postseason. He joins Polanco (three in 2025), Raleigh (three in 2025), Ken Griffey Jr.<\/a><\/strong> (six in 1995), and Jay Buhner<\/a><\/strong> (four in 1995) as the only Mariners to hit three homers or more in a single postseason.<\/p>\n Springer, with his 22nd career postseason homer, has tied Bernie Williams<\/a><\/strong> for fourth-most in postseason history. Only Manny Ramirez<\/a><\/strong> (27), Jose Altuve<\/a><\/strong> (27), and Kyle Schwarber<\/a><\/strong> (23) have more.<\/p>\n Bieber earned the win as Kirby took the loss. There was no save.<\/p>\n The Blue Jays and Mariners will play Game Four Thursday evening in Seattle. It will be a battle of right-handed starting pitchers, Max Scherzer<\/a><\/strong> (5\u20135, 5.19 ERA in the regular season) for the Blue Jays and Luis Castillo<\/a><\/strong> (11\u20138, 3.54 ERA in the regular season) for the Mariners. First pitch is scheduled for 8:33 pm Eastern\/5:33 pm Pacific. FS1 will televise the game in the United States.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Main Photo:Blue Jays \u2013 Mariners Game Summary<\/h3>\n
Blowing It Open<\/h4>\n
What Went Right for the Mariners<\/h3>\n
Took Early Lead<\/h4>\n
Notched Eight Hits<\/h4>\n
What Went Wrong for the Mariners<\/h3>\n
Starting Pitching<\/h4>\n
The Middle Innings<\/h4>\n
Relief Pitching<\/h4>\n
What Went Right for the Blue Jays<\/h3>\n
Prepared to Hit Sinkers<\/h4>\n
Kept Hitting\u2026and Hitting\u2026and Hitting<\/h4>\n
Starting Pitching<\/h4>\n
What Went Wrong for the Blue Jays<\/h3>\n
Quotes<\/h3>\n
Quick Hits<\/h3>\n
Looking Ahead<\/h3>\n
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>