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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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SEATTLE — Anthony Santanderâ€s season is over. Just more than an hour prior to first pitch in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, the Blue Jays announced that Santander had been removed from the roster with a injury. Manager John Schneider said the injury is related to the back tightness that made him a late scratch for ALCS Game 2 on Monday.

Any injury removal also makes a player ineligible for the next series, effectively ending a 2025 season that has been cruel to Santander. Joey Loperfido, who has been travelling with the Blue Jays in case a moment like this arose, has taken Santanderâ€s spot on the roster.

Itâ€s difficult to imagine a more frustrating start to Santanderâ€s Blue Jays career after signing a five-year, $92.5 million deal in January, fresh off a 44-homer campaign with the Orioles. He looked like the power threat this Blue Jays lineup desperately needed, but a slow start was quickly made worse by a nagging left shoulder injury that eventually robbed more than three months of the season from Santander.

Santander rehabbed in time to return for the final week of September and the postseason, but he was held out of Thursdayâ€s lineup with soreness and “feeling all sorts of October,†manager John Schneider said before this move was made official.

At the end of this draining and complicated season for Santander, heâ€s left with a .175 average and .565 OPS over 54 regular-season games, then similar numbers in the postseason. None of this was what Santander or the Blue Jays envisioned.

Santanderâ€s season is now a worry for next spring. No player in this organization will be as eager as Santander to see a fresh start in a new season, and he will still have every opportunity to star in the middle of the Blue Jays†lineup, but itâ€s Loperfidoâ€s time now. Down 2-1 in the ALCS entering Game 4, Toronto needs to win right here, right now.

“Weâ€d obviously love to have [Santander] in there, but itâ€s part of the game and part of this point of the season,†said Game 5 starter Kevin Gausman. “Heâ€s really battled back to even get here. Itâ€s next guy up. [The Mariners] arenâ€t going to feel bad that heâ€s not in there. Theyâ€ll probably be pretty happy, to be honest.â€

Loperfido has earned this opportunity. Even though he felt like an afterthought in Triple-A Buffalo at times this season, Loperfido earned rave reviews from the coaching staff for the work he did to stay prepared, which has shown itself again through September and October in the big leagues. Loperfido hasnâ€t played much, but he has taken as much batting practice as one player possibly can and worked to be ready for some specific scenarios, including late-game spots where he could be used off the bench.

Over 41 games of sporadic playing time with Toronto, Loperfido hit .333 with four home runs and an .879 OPS, flashing the potential that had the Blue Jays so excited when they acquired him from the Astros at the 2024 Trade Deadline in the Yusei Kikuchi deal. Loperfido hits right-handed pitching particularly well, making him an option to see some legitimate playing time if the Blue Jays can continue to extend this series.

Bo Bichette is getting closer to being considered as an option for the Blue Jays, and he continued to crank up his running Thursday, but heâ€s not quite cleared yet to return from his left knee sprain. Bichette, who also took a run at being ready for this original ALCS roster before feeling some discomfort, is absolutely an option for the World Series if Toronto can advance.

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SEATTLE — The Toronto Blue Jays are expecting Max Scherzer to be himself when he starts Game 4 of the AL Championship Series against Seattle.

His excitable, feisty self.

“I love it. This is what you play for,†Scherzer said. “You want to have the ball in this situation, you want to be pitching in the postseason.â€

The 41-year-old Scherzer hasnâ€t pitched in a game since his last regular-season start on Sept. 24 against Boston. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is making his 26th postseason start and 31st appearance.

Scherzer and fellow right-hander Chris Bassitt were added to Torontoâ€s ALCS roster after they missed the Division Series against the Yankees. Bassitt pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in a relief appearance during a10-3 loss to the Mariners.

“I expect Max to be Max,†Bassitt said, “in the aspect of just go out there and execute at a very, very high level.â€

Scherzer is 0-3 over his last eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series. He went 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts of the 2025 season.

Scherzer admitted his pitching was not up to his standards toward the end of the season, and that he took time to get his body right. Manager John Schneider said neck pain limited Scherzer at the end of the season. The eight-time All-Star also didnâ€t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

Scherzer, who finalized a one-year, $15.5 million contract with Toronto in February, went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts this year — his 18th in the major leagues.

“I donâ€t want to sit here and go backwards and blame injuries for any way I pitched,†Scherzer said. “When I take the mound, I take the mound, and I have the attitude (that) Iâ€m going to win no matter what.â€

The Blue Jays beat the Mariners 13-4 in Game 3 after dropping the first two games of the ALCS at home. They need to win at least two of three in Seattle to send the best-of-seven series back to Toronto.

“Weâ€re a great team,†Scherzer said before the Blue Jays†win in Game 3. “Iâ€ve seen it over and over throughout this year, the number of times we responded in so many different ways. We had so many comeback wins. Weâ€ve played great ball.

“Yes, we lost two games. Yes, obviously these are must-win games. We all understand whatâ€s at stake.â€

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SEATTLE — As the ball rolled rapidly toward the right-center-field wall, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.â€s eyes grew wide. For the fourth time in four at-bats Wednesday in ALCS Game 3, Guerrero had blistered an offering from a Mariners pitcher and was about to reap the rewards.

But this was more than just another well-struck ball. Guerreroâ€s first three hits of the night were a high-bouncing chopper that he legged out for an infield single, a screaming line-drive double that nearly dented the left-field fence and a booming home run to straightaway center field. If Guerrero kicked it into high gear as his fourth batted ball scurried toward the fence and raced for a triple, a cycle — just the second in MLB postseason history — was within reach.

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Alas, it was not to be. As Seattle center fielder Julio Rodriguez hustled over and hurried the ball in, Guerrero sensibly slowed at second and settled for his second double of the game, recognizing that pushing for a historic individual achievement amid a 12-2 playoff game posed more risk than reward. Still, he turned to his teammates and grinned, knowing what could have been.

“We were all yelling,†infielder Ernie Clement said afterward. “We couldn’t believe it. We wore him out.â€

“I didn’t even realize he was a triple shy,†third baseman Addison Barger said. “And then everybody’s like, ‘Go, go, go! Go to third!†And I said, ‘Why would he go to third? It’s, like, 12 to 2.’ And then I was like, ‘Oh, s***, he would’ve hit for the cycle.â€â€

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“He’s being smart. It could have been a play where he just slides and hurts himself,†conceded backup catcher Tyler Heineman, one of several teammates who was visibly disappointed as Guerrero coasted into second. “… I would have loved to see him do it just because I’ve never seen a cycle. But I’m just happy he had a good night.”

Cycle or not, one thing was clear: The Toronto Blue Jays were having a blast.

[Get more Toronto news: Blue Jays team feed]

Guerreroâ€s four-hit game was the headlining performance of a collective offensive outburst for the Blue Jays†lineup in Game 3, as Toronto emphatically distanced itself from an uncharacteristic no-show in the first two games of the series en route to a decisive 13-4 victory.

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Undaunted by the challenges of traveling cross-continent with a 2-0 series deficit and awakening an offense in the least hitter-friendly ballpark in the majors, the Blue Jays exploded for 18 hits, including five home runs. Every Toronto starter reached base at least once, eight scored at least one run, and six recorded multi-hit games. The 13 runs were the most the Mariners had allowed in a home game since June 30, 2023.

As usual, Guerrero was at the center of it all.

The face of the franchise completely torched the New York Yankees in the ALDS, demolishing any perception of October struggles after six poor games across three previous postseason appearances. But with the stakes higher in the championship series, even Guerreroâ€s spectacular showing against New York was quickly forgotten when he went hitless in both games in Toronto as the Blue Jays fell into a stunning hole to open the series against Seattle. As a whole, the Blue Jays mustered one hit after George Springerâ€s leadoff homer in a 3-1 loss in Game 1, and the offense evaporated again the next night, notching one hit over the final seven innings while the Mariners cruised to a 10-3 victory in Game 2.

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Combined with how formidable the Mariners looked on both sides of the ball in Toronto, the Blue Jays seemed to be in an especially precarious position as they headed west. But the consecutive lackluster showings at the plate were an extreme outlier for this unit, and that offered reason for optimism as the series shifted to Seattle.

“It’s not like we went out there and played our game and lost,†veteran pitcher Chris Bassitt said ahead of Game 3. “We still have a lot of confidence in our game and how we play and what we do.â€

That confidence was rightfully rooted in a full-season sample that indicated the Blue Jays†offense was not to be taken lightly, having led MLB in batting average and on-base percentage while ranking fourth in runs per game. And sure enough, in Game 3, led by Guerreroâ€s humongous display at the plate — the kind that has so often gone hand-in-hand with his teamâ€s success — the Blue Jays got back to playing their game, making this ALCS all the more compelling.

“He’s our heart and soul,†Clement said of his superstar teammate. “He carries the load. The last few years, I’ve seen him struggle, I’ve seen him be the best hitter on the planet. I see the work that he puts in. And to see him have success on the biggest stage, when everybody knows we need him to do it, is special.â€

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Said Barger: “Even if he’s off, he’s still gonna produce with the best of them. But when he’s on, it’s scary — there’s not much they can do. I feel bad for the pitchers.”

Torontoâ€s confidence that the bats would break out proved warranted, as the Blue Jays tagged Seattle starter George Kirby for eight runs Wednesday before adding five more against the underbelly of the Mariners†bullpen. But Torontoâ€s outlook on the mound was less certain entering Game 3. Taking the ball was high-profile trade-deadline acquisition Shane Bieber after his first postseason showing as a Blue Jay went rather poorly, with Bieber recording just eight outs in Torontoâ€s lone loss to the Yankees in the ALDS.

Bieberâ€s second outing didnâ€t inspire much confidence in the early going, either, as Julio Rodriguez destroyed a poorly located fastball in the bottom of the first inning for a quick 2-0 Mariners lead that sent T-Mobile Park into an immediate frenzy. For a Blue Jays team desperate for any semblance of momentum, it was an ominous opening. But Bieber remained confident that he could turn his outing around.

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“It was an unfortunate start, but I came into the dugout and told the guys, ‘Pick me up.†Like, ‘I got good stuff tonight,â€â€ Bieber said afterward. “And they definitely listened and picked me up in a huge way, and I was able to go back out there … and reestablish what I wanted to do.â€

In an era defined by high-end velocity, Bieber, whose fastball maxed out at 93.7 mph in Game 3, thrives on precision and sequencing, rather than rearing back and unleashing hellacious heat. And after his one glaring mistake to Rodriguez — and after the Blue Jays supplied him with five runs of support in the top of third inning — Bieber hit his stride and started to carve through the Mariners†lineup with a balanced diet of his five-pitch mix. The slider was the star, coaxing seven whiffs on a dozen swings. But the changeup, knuckle-curve and cutter all served as valuable weapons, in turn making his fastball more effective as the game went along. The pitchâ€s infrequent and unpredictable deployment actually made it more difficult to handle, despite its pedestrian velocity.

After that first inning, just two more baserunners reached against Bieber, as he completed six frames on 88 pitches with eight strikeouts and just the two runs allowed on the Rodriguez blast. As it turned out, after ace Kevin Gausman had an untimely misstep late in Game 1 and multiple key arms surrendered runs in an ugly Game 2, Bieber served as a much-needed stabilizing force on the mound for Toronto.

“It’s fun to watch guys like that work,†manager John Schneider said afterward. “It was exactly what we needed tonight.â€

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With the tone of the series firmly altered by Torontoâ€s resounding triumph in Game 3, the focus now shifts back to the home team and its ability to bounce back from another postseason pitfall. The Mariners were able to do just that after ALDS Game 4 in Detroit, which followed a similar script to Wednesdayâ€s loss, with an enticing early lead crumbling into a noncompetitive blowout loss.

Seattleâ€s epic effort in the 15-inning Game 5 to take down the Tigers was an encouraging display of the teamâ€s resilience, but it held significant advantages over Detroit from a talent standpoint. In Thursdayâ€s ALCS Game 4 and beyond, the Mariners face a much taller task against the top-seeded Blue Jays, regardless of how the first two games unfolded.

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“Momentum can be a real thing,†Schneider said. “But we’re going to approach tomorrow like the series is 0-0 and continue to try to do everything we can do to win tomorrow.â€

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Oct 15, 2025, 09:00 PM ET

SEATTLE — The Toronto Blue Jays are expecting Max Scherzer to be his excitable, feisty self when he starts Game 4 of the AL Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.

“I love it. This is what you play for,” Scherzer said. “You want to have the ball in this situation. You want to be pitching in the postseason.”

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The 41-year-old Scherzer hasn’t pitched in a game since his last regular-season start on Sept. 24 against Boston. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is making his 26th postseason start and 31st appearance.

Scherzer and fellow right-hander Chris Bassitt were added to Toronto’s ALCS roster after they missed the Division Series against the Yankees. Bassitt pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in a relief appearance during Monday night’s 10-3 loss to the Mariners.

“I expect Max to be Max,” Bassitt said, “in the aspect of just go out there and execute at a very, very high level.”

Scherzer is 0-3 over his last eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series. He went 1/3 with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts of the 2025 season.

Scherzer admitted his pitching was not up to his standards toward the end of the season, and that he took time to get his body right. Manager John Schneider said Sunday that neck pain limited Scherzer at the end of the season. The eight-time All-Star also didn’t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

Scherzer, who finalized a $15.5 million, one-year contract with Toronto in February, went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts this year — his 18th in the major leagues.

“I don’t want to sit here and go backwards and blame injuries for any way I pitched,” Scherzer said. “When I take the mound, I take the mound, and I have the attitude (that) I’m going to win no matter what.”

The Blue Jays dropped the first two games of the ALCS at home but responded with a Game 3 win in Seattle on Wednesday night.

“We’re a great team,” Scherzer said Wednesday. “I’ve seen it over and over throughout this year, the number of times we responded in so many different ways. We had so many comeback wins. We’ve played great ball.

“Yes, we lost two games. Yes, obviously these are must-win games. We all understand what’s at stake.”

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