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The Toronto Blue Jays had some fun in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners with the unc memes featuring Max Scherzer, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco.

Following their 8-2 win over Seattle, the Blue Jays posted the graphic with the age and experience of all three legends from their sport and captioned it, “the Unc-tion did NOT disappoint” with the saluting emoji.

There were plenty of jokes leading up to the Thursday night NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals featuring Rodgers and Flacco as the starting quarterbacks.

Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward, dubbed the quarterback matchup the “Icy Hot Bowl” earlier in the week. The NFL game turned out to be a thriller, with Flacco throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns in Cincinnati’s 33-31 upset win.

Scherzer wasn’t even certain to make a start in the postseason. He was left off Toronto’s roster for the ALDS against the New York Yankees because of his 5.19 ERA during the regular season.

The Blue Jays tabbed Scherzer, whose last appearance was on Sept. 24, to be their Game 4 starter in Seattle trailing 2-1 in the series. He answered the call with two runs allowed in 5.2 innings to help the team get the victory and even the series at two games apiece.

If this ends up being the last game for Scherzer in 2025, he will be going out on a high note.

The Blue Jays have rebounded after losing the first two games against the Mariners at home. The two teams will play Game 5 in Seattle on Friday at 6:08 p.m. ET before the series shifts back to Toronto.

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SEATTLE — Three Cy Young Awards. Two no-hitters. Eight All-Star games. Two World Series championships.

Max Scherzer has done it all, seen it all, won it all. The 41-year-old future first-ballot Hall of Famer has accomplished virtually everything a pitcher could possibly dream of on a baseball field.

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Except for this.

On Thursday in the bottom of the third inning of ALCS Game 4, Mariners second baseman Leo Rivas drew a walk against Scherzer to lead off the frame. The Blue Jays had just staked Scherzer to a 3-1 lead, but Rivas reaching base as the No. 9 hitter presented a golden opportunity for the top of the Mariners†lineup to rally their way back into the ballgame. And Scherzer, who had a 10.20 ERA in four September starts and hadnâ€t pitched since Sept. 24, was expected to be on a short leash at the first sign of trouble. Randy Arozarena skied one to left field for the first out, but then MVP candidate Cal Raleigh strode to the plate to raise the stakes.

After two pitches, the count was 1-1. Rivas took his lead at first. The pitch clock ticked down. One bad pitch to Raleigh, and the game could be tied. Scherzer came set, readied and fired … to first base.

With Rivas floating off the bag, Scherzer whipped around and threw to first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who snapped a tag down on Rivas as he dove back. First-base umpire D.J. Reyburn initially ruled Rivas safe, but replay review initiated by a Toronto challenge revealed that Guerreroâ€s tag was in time, and Rivas was out.

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It was the first time Scherzer had picked off a baserunner in the postseason.

With the bases suddenly empty, Raleigh seemed a lot less daunting. And two pitches later, Scherzer sat down the star catcher, coaxing a hapless wave at a curveball for strike three to end the inning. The moment marked a pivotal momentum shift for Toronto en route to an 8-2 victory that evened the series at two games apiece.

“I got the pick-off call from the PitchCom and just tried to wait out the clock as long as I could and then make a good snap throw. It wasn’t my best throw, but obviously, I put it in the right spot, so Vladdy could get the tag,†Scherzer said afterward. “That was a big turning point in the game to allow me to stay aggressive at them.â€

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Said Toronto manager John Schneider postgame: “The thing about Max is he really understands the game. I think when the disengagement rules kind of came in, he was always a guy that kind of just lobbed the ball over to first, didn’t really care about the running game … but it’s something that he’s worked on. He’s 41, and he’s still working on his craft.â€

In some respects, the fact that this rally-squashing pickoff was a first-time October feat for Scherzer isnâ€t especially surprising. He has only eight career pickoffs in 2,963 regular-season innings. The last time he picked off a runner was Aug. 30, 2016, and that was Freddy Galvis dancing off second base. The last time Scherzer picked off a runner at first was Sept. 15, 2013.

Pickoffs have never been a primary part of his profile — with good reason. Rarely throughout his legendary career has Scherzer needed to worry much about controlling the running game. For one, prime Scherzer wasn’t allowing an amount of traffic on the bases that would require such strategies. And even when batters did reach, Scherzer was often dominant enough to make the pitches to navigate out of trouble, rather than trying to eliminate baserunners via pickoff.

But considering the sizable sample — Scherzerâ€s 17 outs recorded in Game 4 brought his career playoff total to 148 2/3 innings, moving him ahead of Whitey Ford and John Lackey into 10th on the all-time postseason innings list — itâ€s remarkable that never before had he nabbed a napping runner in October.

The pickoff stood out as the most out-of-character moment for Scherzer in Game 4, but everything else about his outing was entirely on brand — and reflective of his longstanding reputation as the ultimate competitor. It wasnâ€t the smoothest start to the evening, with Scherzer allowing a solo blast to Josh Naylor to open the scoring in the second inning. But much like Shane Bieber the night before, Scherzer got better as the game went along. His stuff was crisp — his 96.5-mph fastball to Raleigh in the first was the hardest pitch he has thrown since June 24, 2023 — and his command and execution of his secondary offerings improved as the outing progressed.

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The pinnacle of Scherzerâ€s performance came in the fifth inning, when Arozarena came to the plate with two outs and a runner on first. Hard-throwing reliever Louis Varland was warming up. Even with a 5-1 lead and Scherzer at only 70 pitches, it felt like a sensible time for a manager to make a pitching change, especially with the top of Seattleâ€s lineup preparing to face Scherzer a third time. But as Schneider departed the dugout and headed toward the mound, it became clear that Scherzer had no interest in exiting the game.

“It was awesome,†Schneider said afterward. “I thought he was going to kill me. It was great. He locked eyes with me, both colors, as I walked out.â€

Once Schneider arrived on the hill, Scherzer began to state his case with ferocity.

“I understood where the game state was, knew how I wanted to attack, and then all of a sudden, I saw Schneids coming out, and I kind of went, ‘Woah, woah, woah, I’m not coming out of this ball game. I feel too good,â€â€ Scherzer said postgame. “So we had a little conversation that basically I wanted to stay in the ball game, but just with some other words involved. I just knew I was strong. I knew I wanted the ball. I knew I could get outs in this situation. I just wanted to stay in. I wanted it.â€

After the animated insistence from Scherzer that he wasnâ€t going anywhere, Schneider retreated to the dugout. Four pitches later, Arozarena did the same, having flailed at a curveball for strike three. In completing the fifth, Scherzer ensured himself the chance to record the win, which he ultimately did, marking his first postseason win since Game 1 of the 2019 World Series.

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“I’ve been waiting for that all year, for Max to yell at me on the mound,†Schneider said. “I think at that point, there’s numbers, there’s projections, there’s strategy, and there’s people. So I was trusting people. I think in that moment, you kind of relive every conversation I’ve had with him over the course of the year, and I trusted him to make pitches.â€

After that third out, it wouldâ€ve been entirely reasonable for Schneider to pull the plug and guarantee Scherzer end his outing on a good note. But how the pitcher looked — and how he continued to talk in the dugout — gave the Blue Jays manager the confidence to send Scherzer back out for the sixth against Seattleâ€s best bats.

“When a guy is in it, when a guy is in the arena performing and doing well, I’m going to trust him to continue to do it,†Schneider said.

And once again, Scherzer rewarded his skipper, inducing a flyout from Raleigh and striking out Julio Rodriguez with a wicked slider. After a walk to Jorge Polanco, Scherzer was finally finished, making way for a quartet of Jays relievers to record the final 10 outs.

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“He lives for this. You have to respect that, and you have to appreciate that,†Schneider said. “… That’s why he’s going to the Hall of Fame.â€

At 41 years, 81 days old, Scherzer became the oldest pitcher to start a postseason game since eternal southpaw Jamie Moyer (45 years, 342 days) took the ball for the Phillies in Game 3 of the 2008 World Series. Moyer was also in the building Thursday, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. A member of the Mariners†Hall of Fame after spending 11 of his 25 major-league seasons with Seattle, Moyer received a warm welcome from the sold-out crowd of 46,981 — an ovation that turned out to be one of the loudest cheers of the night from the home fans.

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Because as Scherzerâ€s vintage performance unfolded, the Blue Jays’ bats picked up right where they left off in their 18-hit, 13-run showing in Game 3. Toronto knocked Seattle starter Luis Castillo out in the third, with shortstop Andres Gimenez delivering an unlikely home run for the second game in a row to seize a 2-1 lead. The Jays continued to add on against some of the top Mariners relievers, tagging lefty Gabe Speier with two more runs, scoring on a wild pitch from Matt Brash and getting another humongous swing from Guerrero for a solo homer off Eduard Bazardo. Addison Barger — making his first start in right field since Sept. 6 — was the star on defense, throwing out Naylor at third to quell a Mariners rally in the sixth and making a diving catch to rob Rivas of extra bases to end the seventh.

For the second straight night, the Blue Jays looked like the superior ballclub in every facet. And by evening the series and ensuring the action will return to Rogers Centre for Game 6 (at least), they reclaimed the home-field advantage they squandered earlier in the series. The ALCS now effectively shrinks to a best-of-three, beginning Friday in Game 5, with a pitching rematch between veteran Kevin Gausman and 27-year-old Bryce Miller. These two right-handers were both mostly good in Game 1, with Miller getting the edge by completing six frames while Gausman surrendered the lead in his sixth inning of work. Even so, Game 5 would seem to favor Toronto, based on Gausmanâ€s more substantial track record and how the Jays†offense has been clicking the past two games.

While the Blue Jays have battled back to make this a tremendously compelling series, itâ€s difficult to know what to expect moving forward. Both teams have exhibited strong evidence that theyâ€re the class of the American League. Both teams have floundered in ways that make it difficult to understand how they got this far. Thatâ€s a credit to both ballclubs for showing how good they can be at their best, and it makes it awfully difficult to know which version of them will show up in any given game.

But hey, thatâ€s what makes it fun.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night and are now just one win away from repeating as National League champions, with hopes of back-to-back World Series titles in their sight. The Brew Crew will need to channel some of the 2004 Boston Red Sox magic to overcome their 0–3 deficit but it wonâ€t be easy, especially considering who theyâ€ll be facing in Game 4.

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On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss yet another stellar pitching performance from the Dodgers, with their staff allowing only one run in Game 3. With Shohei Ohtani set to take the mound in a potential closeout game on Friday night, can the Brewers begin arguably the biggest comeback in MLB postseason history?

Also on this episode, Jake and Jordan cover how the Toronto Blue Jays gave the Seattle Mariners a taste of their own medicine by winning two straight games at T-Mobile Park, evening the ALCS at two games apiece. With the series now set to return to Toronto after Game 5 in Seattle, is tomorrow night a must-win for the Mariners? The guys also recap key takeaways from the 2025 postmortem press conferences held by the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies.

Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images

(Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

1:39 – The Opener: Dodgers are one win away

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12:52 – Who will be NLCS MVP?

16:43 – Blue Jays even up ALCS

21:09 – Max Scherzer turns back the clock

35:12 – Humpy update + ALCS Game 5 preview

44:17 – Yankees & Phillies make news in press conferences

ðŸ–¥ï¸ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at or atyahoosports.tv

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SEATTLE – Four games into this American League Championship Series battle between the Blue Jays and Mariners, and nothing separates these two clubs – except another cross-country flight on deck, with nothing short of a pennant on the line.

With the ALCS even at two games apiece, Seattle and Toronto will enter Friday’s Game 5 locked into a best-of-three for a trip to the World Series, with Bryce Miller taking on Kevin Gausman in a matchup of right-handers.

“Weâ€ll come back ready to go,†said Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh. “Bryce obviously threw a great first game, so weâ€ll have to come up with a good game plan tomorrow to keep them at bay and put a few runs on the board.â€

It has been a showdown defined thus far by road dominance: The Blue Jays have outscored the Mariners 21-6 in the two games at T-Mobile Park. Thatâ€s a flip from how the first pair of contests went at Rogers Centre, where Seattle outscored Toronto, 13-4.

“We didn’t get too high, we didn’t get too low,†said the Blue Jays†Isiah Kiner-Falefa. “The coaches did a great job all around of not panicking, kind of keeping the mood light. Normally, you go down 2-0 and you’re doing PFPs.

“We kind of kept our normal routine, and guys were able to kind of just slow the game down. We were able to come up big here in these last two games. Hopefully, we can keep going.â€

Torontoâ€s resounding Game 4 victory restored home-field advantage for the stretch run, but first comes one more clash in the Pacific Northwest before the scene shifts back to Canada, where this seesaw showdown will be decided.

“Obviously we wanted to get a couple wins here in the series at home,†Seattle manager Dan Wilson said. “We haven’t been able to do that. But tomorrow we have a chance to bounce back, and that’s where our focus is going forward.â€

When is the game and how can I watch it?
First pitch is scheduled for 6:08 p.m. ET (3:08 p.m. PT) on Friday at T-Mobile Park and can be seen in the United States on FS1.

Blue Jays fans in Canada can tune in via Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ for the broadcast with Buck Martinez, Dan Shulman and Hazel Mae, or listen to the radio call with Ben Shulman and Chris Leroux on Sportsnet 590 The FAN.

All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games also are available live internationally, although not in Canada. Sportsnet is MLB’s exclusive English language broadcaster in Canada for every Postseason game, while TVA Sports will be covering the entire AL Postseason and the World Series in French and Broadcaster RDS will cover the entire NL Postseason in French.

Who are the starting pitchers?
Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman (10-11, 3.59 ERA) has pitched Game 1 in both the AL Division Series against the Yankees and this ALCS, but the stage just keeps getting bigger. His outings have been eerily similar, both at 5 2/3 innings with 75 pitches in one and 76 in the other, so itâ€s clear where the Blue Jays want to keep Gausmanâ€s workload. Gausman is Torontoâ€s ace for a reason, but given that he relies so heavily on his fastball and splitter combo, it will be interesting to see how the Mariners handle that mix after seeing him in Game 1.

Mariners: Bryce Miller (1-0, 2.61 ERA in these playoffs) will face a Game 1 rematch vs. Gausman, in which he outlasted the splitter specialist by overcoming a leadoff homer to George Springer on his very first pitch to hold the Blue Jays 1-for-19 the rest of the way. Miller wound up clearing six brilliant innings in his first career start on short rest, though heâ€ll be on standard rest in Game 5. However, Miller noted that this will be his first time facing the same team in a five-day span since he was in the Minors, where a standard head-to-head series lasts a full week of six games.

What might the starting lineups look like?
Blue Jays: With Anthony Santander now done after being removed from the ALCS roster with an injury, the Blue Jays could roll out the same lineup they did for Game 4. Kiner-Falefa felt like a surprising addition at the time, but he came up with two big hits and has the full trust of manager John Schneider. Joey Loperfido would then take over as the top lefty bat option on the bench, with Davis Schneider available from the right side and Myles Straw as the pinch-runner.

Mariners: Wilson made his first notable tweak to the starting nine in these playoffs in Game 4, opting for Dominic Canzone in right field (over Victor Robles), Jorge Polanco at designated hitter (where Canzone had been starting vs. righties) and switch-hitter Leo Rivas at second base (where Polanco had been playing). Polanco remained at cleanup, Canzone at No. 7 and Rivas was added at No. 9, with J.P. Crawford moving up a spot to No. 8. It didnâ€t necessarily correlate to much, as the Mariners mustered the same number of hits as walks (five). But Wilson has been prone to consistency, so itâ€s possible he sticks with it against another righty.

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Blue Jays: The most interesting wrinkle will be the potential availability of Trey Yesavage out of the bullpen on short rest, but since the Blue Jays evened up the series and are no longer fighting for their lives, it could make more sense to hold Yesavage for Game 6 at home. Behind Gausman, the Blue Jays should once again have everyone available, including back-end arms Louis Varland, Seranthony Domínguez and Jeff Hoffman. If any length is needed, Chris Bassitt and Eric Lauer are available.

Mariners: Wilson said that he intended to be aggressive with the bullpen in Game 4, given that he didnâ€t turn to his three highest-leverage arms (Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash and Gabe Speier) in Games 2 or 3. And that was a big factor in why he went to Speier in place of Luis Castillo with just one out in the third on Thursday. Seattle was already trailing and unable to recover, which led Wilson to using low-leverage options Carlos Vargas and Emerson Hancock at the end. Muñoz, who hasnâ€t pitched since Game 1, will almost certainly be used in Game 5 now that the stakes are even higher. But the biggest question mark is on Bryan Woo, who spent each of the past two games in the home bullpen and is expected to pitch in relief as soon as Friday (more below).

Any injuries of note?
Blue Jays: Bo Bichette was left off the Blue Jays†ALCS roster as he continues to rehab from his left knee sprain, and his status will remain a daily story in Toronto as he pushes to return in time for a potential World Series. Given that this is also the final year of Bichetteâ€s deal in Toronto, the only organization he has known, the stakes are sky high.

Santander was removed from the Blue Jays†ALCS roster prior to Game 4 with a back injury, so he will no longer be eligible for the World Series, and his 2025 season is over.

Mariners: The Mariners made the decision to move Woo (pectoral inflammation) to the bullpen once the series shifted to Seattle, and given that there are only three games left at most and Woo hasnâ€t pitched since exiting a Sept. 19 start in Houston, Seattle probably can spend him only once. So now the question becomes where to do so. If Miller is on the ropes early, like Castillo in Game 4, Woo could be a piggyback option. Itâ€s also likely that the Mariners would want to deploy Woo for a clean inning, since he hasnâ€t done this since his college days at Cal Poly, where he made 25 of his 31 career appearances as a reliever but not since 2019-21.

Who is hot and who is not?
Blue Jays: Guerrero might be the hottest hitter in baseball right now. He launched his fifth home run in eight postseason games Thursday and is officially entering Aaron Judge territory when it comes to how opposing teams need to handle him. Donâ€t sleep on Clement, either. The utilityman is batting .452 and has been crucial to extending this Blue Jays†lineup. Springer seems to be yanking a line drive into left field every time he swings the bat, too, while Giménez has now homered in back-to-back games. One through nine, this lineup looks like it did in the ALDS again, which is a very scary thing for the Mariners.

Mariners: After outscoring the Blue Jays, 13-4, in Toronto, the Mariners†bats have gone cold since the series shifted to T-Mobile Park, going 13-for-63 (.206) with a .688 OPS and six runs scored. Leadoff man Arozarena has experienced the most glaring troubles, as heâ€s now 2-for-15 in this ALCS and hitting .158 overall this postseason. Naylor, meanwhile, will look to stay hot, as heâ€s 6-for-14 in this series with two homers, including a second-inning blast in Game 4 that gave the Mariners an early lead.

Anything else fans might want to know?
Blue Jays:

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SEATTLE – Blue Jays manager John Schneider had the thought as his team boarded the 2,500-mile flight from Toronto to Seattle on Monday night, following losses in the first two games of the American League Championship Series against the Mariners.

“I hope we find some slug in the air out here.â€

Leave it to his superstar to lead the way and make some franchise history in the process.

“Like I say always, I believe in God and I believe in this team,†Guerrero said on FOX postgame. “When you play one day at a time, one at-bat at a time, something big can happen. To us, we came here and tried to win the series. We got two, and tomorrow weâ€ve got to try and find a way to win the next one.â€

Guerreroâ€s Statcast-projected 359-foot blast out to right-center field in the seventh inning was his fifth of the postseason, breaking a tie with José Bautista (2015) for most in a single postseason in Blue Jays history.

It was also Guerreroâ€s 15th hit of the postseason following his single in the third inning. Heâ€s just the fourth player with 15-plus hits and five-plus home runs in his first eight games of a single postseason, joining:

“Let’s be honest, with the contract comes a lot of extracurriculars,†Schneider said. “He’s met them head on. I think the pitches he swung at in Games 1 and 2 were the right pitches to swing at, but I think he was a little bit overanxious and it led to some ground balls.

“Vladdy a couple years ago might have been a little stubborn. Vladdy right now, in this moment in 2025, has the ability to take a step back, process what he’s doing, then he leans into his teammates and leans into his coaches. He’s made some adjustments. That was a big swing.”

Following an 0-for-7 start to the ALCS, Guerrero is wide awake now, having gone 6-for-9 in the past two games. And the rest of the lineup has followed with its normal gritty at-bats that can grind down an opposing pitching staff.

Second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa didnâ€t know he was going to be in the lineup when he woke up Thursday, but with Anthony Santander dealing with a lingering back injury and now off the ALCS roster, the Blue Jays moved Addison Barger to right field on Thursday, Ernie Clement to third base and inserted Kiner-Falefa in at second base.

Kiner-Falefa sent a double into left field to begin the third inning and a Toronto rally. And for the second consecutive night, No. 9 hitter Andrés Giménez hit the game-flipping home run. His two-run blast in the third inning turned the Blue Jays†one-run deficit into a one-run lead they never relinquished.

“Iâ€m not going to hit homers every day,†Giménez said. “I was just trying to move the runner over, and I hit it pretty well. … The guys like me need to get on base for George [Springer], Vladdy, [Nathan] Lukes. Thatâ€s our game.â€

“That’s just us, you know?†Schneider said.

Kiner-Falefa added: “My job for this team is to be ready if someone was to get injured. That could be during the game, before the game. I just went at it how I go out every day, ready for any opportunity. … For me nothing changes, just going at it the same way every day until I get that opportunity.â€

And Guerrero did what he does best to add to the lead late.

Whatever this offense found as the series shifted to Seattle this week, itâ€s gotten them back in this thing. They donâ€t want to slow down now.

“We have a really good approach as a team,†Giménez said. “We all commit to it. And itâ€s really good when we execute that way.â€

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SEATTLE – So far, home-field advantage hasnâ€t meant much in this American League Championship Series – and the Blue Jays couldnâ€t be happier about it.

Max Scherzer shone in a vintage performance while Andrés Giménez homered and drove in four runs, silencing the crowd for a second consecutive evening in the Blue Jays†8-2 victory over the Mariners in Thursday nightâ€s Game 4 at T-Mobile Park.

Torontoâ€s win continues the trend of road teams winning each matchup so far, pulling the ALCS even at two games apiece while ensuring this series will return to Canada with everything still up for grabs.

“Youâ€re in the biggest moment of the season right now,†Scherzer said. “These games are must-win, every single one of them. When you get success, itâ€s great. This is what you play for.â€

One out shy of qualifying for a victory, Scherzer snarled and shouted emphatically during a mound visit from manager John Schneider, who left the three-time Cy Young Award winner in the game.

“I kind of went, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa,†like, ‘Iâ€m not coming out of this ballgame,â€â€ Scherzer said. “I feel too good. I wanted it.â€

Schneider said he “thought he was going to kill me.†Scherzer responded by striking out Randy Arozarena on a curveball in the dirt, punctuating it with a roar and a fist pump.

“When a Hall of Famer like this tells you heâ€s good,†Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said through an interpreter, “you leave him in the game.â€

Guerrero launched a seventh-inning homer to pad Torontoâ€s advantage – Guerreroâ€s fifth home run this postseason, breaking a tie with José Bautista (2015) for the most in a single playoff run by a Blue Jays player. Toronto has outscored Seattle 21-6 after losing the first two games at home.

“We knew it wasnâ€t going to be easy,†said Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh. “Now itâ€s a best-of-three.â€

Teams to lose Games 1-2 but then win Games 3-4 in any best-of-seven postseason series have gone on to win that series 10 of 23 times (43.5%). In series with the current 2-3-2 format that have been tied after Game 4, the team playing Game 5 on the road has taken the series 34 of 60 times (56.7%).

“This is two good teams going at it,†Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “This is what the Championship Series is all about. Weâ€ll make our adjustments.â€

As in Game 3, the Mariners struck first, with Josh Naylor lifting a Scherzer changeup for a second-inning home run – Seattleâ€s eighth homer of this ALCS.

But once again, the bottom of Torontoâ€s order sparked a third-inning outburst, showing fight. Isiah Kiner-Falefa led off with a double, and Giménez followed by hammering a Luis Castillo slider over the right-field wall.

“We dealt with adversity all year,†Kiner-Falefa said. “We almost lost the AL East lead, and we played every game the way weâ€ve been playing the last couple days. Our backs were against the wall. We had to go on a little bit of a run, and we ended up getting the job done.â€

Two more hits and a walk prompted an exit for Castillo, with Gabe Speier inheriting a bases-loaded, one-out jam. It was a surprisingly early hook for Castillo, who had been 4-0 with an 0.86 ERA in six games (five starts) dating to Sept. 7, including the postseason.

“We talked about it beforehand, that we had the ability tonight to be aggressive with the bullpen,†Wilson said. “You make tough decisions. That was a tough one, for sure.â€

Toronto wasnâ€t done. Kiner-Falefa opened the fourth with a single, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on George Springerâ€s double to left field. Matt Brash bounced a slider for a wild pitch that allowed Springer to trot home with Torontoâ€s fifth run.

“We need to pitch a little bit better,†Speier said. “Continue to attack, but maybe a little more intent with what weâ€re doing.â€

Making his first appearance since Sept. 24 due to minor neck and back issues, Scherzer had been throwing simulated games during his downtime, but his sharpness remained a mystery even to his own team.

He quickly erased any doubts, hitting 96.5 mph on a first-inning pitch to Raleigh – Scherzerâ€s fastest velocity of the season. Getting better as the game went on, Scherzer separated his velocity masterfully, limiting Seattle to three hits and four walks while striking out five.

“He was huge for us today,†said Springer. “He was who he is. You kind of stay away from him. You donâ€t really want to get in Maxâ€s way. You kind of just let Max be Max. It was entertaining, for sure.â€

Eugenio Suárez stroked a sixth-inning RBI single facing Mason Fluharty, the second run charged to Scherzer, but right fielder Addison Barger threw out Naylor at third base to end the inning. Giménez added two insurance runs in the eighth with a two-run single that ticked off reliever Emerson Hancockâ€s glove.

Scherzer became the fourth pitcher to win an ALCS start at age 41 or older, joining Dennis Martinez (Game 6, 1995), Roger Clemens (Game 3, 2003) and Kenny Rogers (Game 3, 2006).

“You work so hard the whole year, make all the sacrifices, put all the work in to get to this moment,†Scherzer said. “Itâ€s just a great effort by our team, all the way around – our offense, our defense, our relievers. Everybody contributed tonight, and thatâ€s what makes it special.â€

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SEATTLE — A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Kevin Gausman once more.

The staff ace with two Game 1 starts under his belt already in this postseason will get the ball in Game 5 on Friday, when heâ€ll have a chance to put the Blue Jays within one win of a trip to the World Series after they evened the series in Game 4.

The stakes have never been higher for Gausman, the 34-year-old who was brought to Toronto four years ago for moments just like this. The two performances weâ€ve seen from Gausman this postseason have been enough, but both he and the Blue Jays know thereâ€s more in there. With Bryce Miller going for the Mariners, “good†might not cut it.

“This is what we live for,†Gausman said. “Iâ€ve thrown a lot of really good games in the World Series in my backyard. Iâ€ve never really thought about the ALCS, usually it was the World Series. This is something that, as kids, we all dreamt of, pitching in the big game or getting the big hit in the World Series or a big playoff game. As a player, you relish these opportunities to go out and show not just your team, but really the whole world what you can do.â€

Gausmanâ€s Game 1 starts against the Yankees and Mariners were nearly identical, each lasting 5 2/3 innings with 75 pitches in one and 76 in the other. The one pitch heâ€d love to take back came against the Mariners last Sunday in Toronto, when Gausmanâ€s splitter caught too much of the zone and Cal Raleigh launched a solo shot to tie the game in the sixth. In each of Gausmanâ€s starts, heâ€s been cruising until some late turbulence.

Part of being a veteran, though, is understanding that even the best-laid plans rarely last. Game plans get blown up every night. Gausman has held the early advantage in his starts so far, but it wonâ€t always go that way.

“Sometimes, you get punched in the face in the first inning and you have to change your mindset,†Gausman said. “You saw that with Shane [Bieber] yesterday. I thought he did a great job of coming back. I joked with him after the game that he took this place up to 120, then took it to zero. It was a really cool performance for him and huge for our team.â€

Thatâ€s why Gausmanâ€s workload is the most interesting wrinkle in all of this. Given his first two starts, something in the range of 75 pitches seems likely in Game 5 too, but could the Blue Jays be even quicker with the hook if Gausman stumbles? Ideally, he takes that decision out of manager John Schneiderâ€s hands and bridges the gap right to the back end of Torontoâ€s bullpen with Louis Varland, Seranthony Domínguez and Jeff Hoffman, but the Blue Jays will need to be ready for all possibilities.

Yes, one of those possibilities could be Trey Yesavage. If the Blue Jays were down 3-1 and fighting for their postseason lives, Yesavage would certainly be an option on short rest after throwing 70 pitches on Monday, but even in an even series, all of the Blue Jays†cards need to be on the table. Donâ€t expect Schneider to tip his hand, though. Heâ€s been keeping his cards close to his chest this postseason, even keeping a couple tucked up his sleeve.

Remember Game 4 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium, when Yesavage made that long, slow walk from the Blue Jays†dugout to the bullpen mid-game? That was all for show. Yesavage was never truly an option in that perfectly executed bullpen game, but this is the postseason, where any distraction is worth exploring, even if itâ€s all smoke and mirrors.

Those are decisions for the chaos of the game, though. All the Blue Jays can control in the hours leading up to first pitch is their decision to roll with Gausman, putting their best foot forward in a game that could define how we remember this 2025 team.

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The Toronto Blue Jays secured a Game 4 American League Championship Series 8-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday on the road, evening the series at 2-2.

Blue Jays ace Max Scherzer had a solid night and even appeared to refuse to come out of the game in the fifth inning, striking out five over 5.2 innings while allowing three hits, one home run, two earned runs and four walks.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made history after going 2-for-5 at the plate and hitting his fifth home run of the postseason, setting a new Blue Jays record for most home runs in a single postseason, surpassing Jose Bautista (2015), per SportsNet.

Andrés Giménez went 2-for-3 on Thursday, hitting a two-run homer and a two-run single for four RBIs, while George Springer and Daulton Varsho also added RBIs.

“Mad Max,” Vladdy and the Blue Jays thrilled fans on Thursday, evening the ALCS with an electrifying performance on the road.

Josh Naylor sparked the Seattle Mariners’ offense with a leadoff home run to center in the bottom of the second, giving Seattle a 1-0 lead, but it was short-lived.

Giménez responded in the top of the third with a two-run homer to right and a bases-loaded walk to Varsho added another run, putting Toronto ahead 3-1.

Springer extended the Blue Jays’ lead in the fourth with an RBI double and later scored on a wild pitch by Matt Brash, making it 5-1.

Eugenio Suárez singled to right in the sixth to drive in a run, but a rocket throw from Addison Barger in right field nailed Josh Naylor at third to end the inning with minimal damage.

Guerrero Jr. launched a 359-foot home run to center in the seventh, reclaiming the run and giving the Blue Jays a 6-2 lead.

Giménez added a RBI double in the eighth to blow the game open, and the Blue Jays went on to win 8-2.

As the Mariners and Blue Jays duel in the American League, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers clash in the National League to decide who advances to the World Series. Los Angeles currently holds a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5 will stay in Seattle on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:08 p.m. ET, as Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman and Mariners’ Bryce Muller are set to face off.

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With a runner on first and two outs in the fifth inning of Game 4 of the ALCS, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider walked out to have a chat with starting pitcher Max Scherzer. It went about how you would expect if you’re familiar with Max Scherzer.

As soon as Schneider reached the mound Thursday, Scherzer began barking at him. It was unclear if Schneider wanted to pull the future Hall of Famer or simply talk about the next batter, Randy Arozarena, but the message from the pitcher was the same.

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In a word: “No.”

Scherzer proceeded to strike out Arozarena and smack his glove in celebration.

The veteran right-hander made sure to let Schneider know what happened as he walked into the dugout.

Among the people entertained by Scherzer’s reaction: his dugout.

Scherzer wound up staying in the game for the start of the sixth inning. He got the first two outs with a Cal Raleigh flyout and Julio Rodríguez strikeout, but then he walked Jorge Polanco on his 87th pitch of the game. That finally led to Schneider pulling him for left-hander Mason Fluharty, who ended up allowing Polanco to score.

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Scherzer’s final line: 5 2/3 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks and 5 strikeouts in a pivotal Game 4 that the Jays won 8-2 to tie this series 2-2.

After the game, Schneider didn’t seem too worried about his pitcher’s vigor:

“Been waiting for that all year, for Max to yell at me on the mound. … I was joking with him, Iâ€ve been waiting for that moment since our Zoom call in the offseason before we signed him. Loved it. Thereâ€s a little more of that in between (before) I sent him back out for the sixth, too.

“It was awesome. I thought he was gonna kill me. It was great. He locked eyes with me, both colors, as I walked out. Itâ€s not fake. Thatâ€s the thing. Itâ€s not fake. He has this ‘Mad Max’ persona, but he backed it up tonight. The infielders had a good laugh, too, and he got the job done.â€

Scherzer’s explanation:

“I understood where the game state was, knew how I wanted to attack, and all of a sudden, I saw Schneids coming out, and I went ‘Whoa whoa whoa whoa, Iâ€m not coming out of this ballgame. I feel too good.’ And so we had a little conversation that basically I wanted to stay in the ballgame, but just with some other words involved.”

The postseason hasn’t always been kind to the three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion, but it has never been for a lack of intensity. Scherzer is a guy who can be seen growling and muttering under his breath, often profanely, between pitches during the regular season, and he hasn’t changed at 41 years old and on his seventh MLB team.

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There’s a reason Toronto wanted a pitcher like him on a team with playoff aspirations, signing him to a one-year, $15.5 million deal before the season. It wasn’t always pretty during the regular season, with a thumb injury knocking Scherzer out for most of the first half and a 5.19 season ERA, but he answered the bell in Game 4, putting his team in position to tie a series that felt nearly lost as it left Toronto.

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The Colorado Avalanche concluded their two-game road trip with an undefeated record.

Their latest triumph came Thursday night at Nationwide Arena, where they dictated pace and possession in a 4–1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets — a performance that showcased both their offensive precision and defensive composure.

Scott Wedgewood once again was dominant with 22 saves on the night. Valeri Nichushkin led the offensive charge with a pair of goals, while Cale Makar marked his 400th NHL game with a goal and an assist. Brock Nelson notched his first tally of the season, and captain Gabe Landeskog recorded his first point of the campaign with an assist.

Ivan Provorov scored the lone goal for Columbus and netminder Elvis Merzlikins was solid in defeat with a 32-save performance.

First Period

Early on, Nelson displayed his hand-eye coordination by splitting two defenders and batting a loose puck out of midair before firing a shot just wide of the net.

Moments later, Victor Olofsson broke free down the left wing and tested Merzlikins with a sharp wrist shot that was neatly gloved.

Artturi Lehkonen nearly broke the deadlock for Colorado, powering through two defenders to get a clean look at Merzlikins, but his attempt ricocheted off the netminder’s right pad.

Brent Burns was called for hooking Mathieu Olivier, granting Columbus a power-play opportunity. But much like their 0-for-5 showing on Monday against New Jersey, the Jackets’ man advantage sputtered, managing only a single shot as Colorado’s penalty kill stood tall.

Late in the period, Devon Toews nearly capitalized with a wrist shot from the left circle that nicked the top of Merzlikins’ stick before sailing out of play.

Second Period

Provorov opened the scoring just 1:36 into the frame, snapping a wrister from the left circle that beat Wedgewood cleanly. The play came together after a brutal turnover at the other end of the ice gave Columbus an ample opportunity to make the Avalanche pay, and that’s exactly what they did.

From there, Colorado flipped the script in emphatic fashion — a sequence that could only be described as a deflection masterclass.

First, in his 400th career game, Makar buried a pinpoint wrist shot off a Martin Nečas feed to even the score.

Barely a minute later, Nelson tipped home Burns’ cannon from the point to put the Avalanche ahead 2–1.

Then, with just over three seconds left in the period, Nichushkin redirected a Sam Malinski shot to cap a three-goal outburst and send Colorado into the intermission with all the momentum.

Third Period

Nečas was whistled for hooking Yegor Chinakhov, but Colorado’s penalty killers continued their perfection — even as Wedgewood absorbed a heavy shot from Adam Fantilli that briefly winded him.

Dmitri Voronkov’s hold on Makar earned Colorado their first power play of the night, but the Avs couldn’t extend the lead.

With eight minutes to play, Colorado maintained a 3–1 advantage and a 29–20 lead in shots. Nichushkin nearly made it a multi-goal night earlier, streaking down the right side and flipping a backhander that Merzlikins denied with the glove.

Columbus emptied the net with 3:31 remaining, but the gamble backfired. GLandeskog found Nichushkin racing down the right wing, and the winger tapped in his second of the game — sealing a 4–1 Avalanche victory.

Takeaways

This was a solid performance that saw a lot of players contribute towards the outcome. Most importantly, we know the offense is the primary strength of this team, but defensively, although there was a turnover that led to the only goal for the Blue Jackets, there were far less turnovers than the previous game against Buffalo. As long as we continue to get better at keeping the puck in our possession, we have a solid foundation.

Nečas is now on a five-game point streak. Sign the man. Nothing more needs to be said about that.

Columbus had two “goals” nullified and in both cases they involved hand passes.

Next Game

The Avalanche (4-0-1) return to Ball Arena on Saturday to take on David Pastrňák and the Boston Bruins on Saturday. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. local time.

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