The Blue Jays scored just four runs in the first two games of the American League Championship Series. However, things turned around in a big way on Wednesday night as the series shifted to Seattle.
Toronto, trying to recover from a 2-0 series deficit, swatted three home runs and put eight runs on the board against starter George Kirby. The Blue Jays’ offense finally sprang to life, delivering a much-needed boost.
The Mariners grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on Julio Rodriguez’s two-run shot. But two innings later, the Blue Jays responded with a five-run surge in the third inning, kick-started by a double from Ernie Clement and a two-run homer from Andres Gimenez.
George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. each belted solo homers to center field in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, adding to Toronto’s growing momentum.
Kirby started the fifth inning but failed to record an out, ultimately being charged with the first eight runs of the game. Wednesday’s outing for Kirby was a stark contrast to his stellar start in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Tigers, where he allowed just one earned run over five innings to keep the Mariners competitive in a game they eventually won in 15 innings.
Toronto began the ALCS with a leadoff homer from Springer in Game 1 but had been kept scoreless at the ballpark until Gimenez’s blast on Wednesday. Now trailing 2-0 in the series, Game 3 is a must-win for the Blue Jays—and with their bats finally waking up, they’ve done their part to stay alive.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/15/sports/blue-jays-come-alive-as-they-knock-out-mariners-george-kirby-in-alcs-game-3/