Big dingers in Seattle: Blue Jays power back into ALCS

SEATTLE – When your back is against the wall, there’s only one way out: Start throwing punches.

That’s how the Blue Jays viewed their situation ahead of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series – and they did exactly that on Wednesday night, answering the noise and electricity of the Emerald City with a thunderous performance of their own.

Andrés Giménez sparked a five-run third inning with the first of five Toronto home runs as the Blue Jays displayed the power and perseverance that have defined their season, swinging big in a 13-4 victory over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park.

“It definitely changed the momentum right there,” Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said through an interpreter. “That’s what happens when you trust your teammates. You’ve got to trust everyone in that lineup. Everything changed in that dugout.”

George Springer, Guerrero, Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger also went deep for the Blue Jays, delivering a convincing statement that this fight is far from finished.

“I’m just so happy that, as a team, we came together and we could win this game,” Giménez said through an interpreter. “We needed to win tonight. It was huge for us, and everybody contributed. Everybody was part of the win.”

In the history of best-of-seven postseason series, teams that have won Game 3 when facing a 2-0 deficit have gone on to win the series 14 of 53 times (26.4%). In series with the current 2-3-2 format, teams winning Game 3 on the road when down 2-0 have gone on to win three of 11 times (27.3%).

“This is a team that’s done a lot this year in terms of bouncing back, being resilient,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “We’ve used a lot of words for it, but tomorrow’s going to be that opportunity again for us. These guys know how to prepare and be ready.”

Julio Rodríguez launched a two-run homer off Toronto starter Shane Bieber for a first-inning lead, whipping the crowd into an early frenzy as the Seattle outfielder hoisted a golden trident near the top step of the first-base dugout.

It marked J-Rod’s second consecutive game with a first-inning homer – and the high point of the evening for the Mariners.

Dominant in his two AL Division Series starts against the Tigers, George Kirby had few answers for Toronto’s lineup, tagged for eight runs and eight hits over four-plus innings.

The Blue Jays had been limited to just two extra-base hits across the first two ALCS games, both off Springer’s bat; they made up for that in Game 3.

“We executed a really good game plan and approach against [Kirby], knowing that he’s going to come right after you,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “It’s the difference between trying to just put the ball in play and trying to do some damage. That was the adjustment we were shooting for today.”

Giménez started the show with a two-run homer in the third inning, part of a five-run frame. Guerrero ripped a double for his first hit of this ALCS, shouting “¡Vamos!” to his teammates from second base, and they followed his instructions to keep the rally going.

“Definitely, something changed for our offense,” Giménez said through an interpreter. “We came tonight with a mentality to attack.”

Kirby bounced a wild pitch that brought in a run, then Daulton Varsho ripped a two-run double that stunned the crowd. But the Blue Jays weren’t done.

Springer teed off for a fourth-inning solo homer, the 22nd postseason blast of his career, tying Bernie Williams for the fourth most all time. Only Manny Ramirez (29), José Altuve (27) and Kyle Schwarber (23) have more.

Guerrero hammered Kirby’s first pitch of the fifth inning over the wall in center field, a slider that sailed just past the reach of a leaping Rodríguez. Kirk extended the lead with a three-run homer in the sixth off Caleb Ferguson, and the rout was on.

“No one said it’s going to be easy,” Kirby said. “Losses are part of the game.”

Chased in the third inning of his ALDS start against the Yankees, Bieber steadied himself after the first-inning homer to deliver the performance Toronto envisioned, striking out eight over six innings while scattering four hits with one walk.

“I came into the dugout and told the guys, ‘Pick me up, I’ve got good stuff tonight,’” Bieber said. “They definitely listened.”

By the eighth inning, spirits were so high that the Blue Jays’ dugout was spilling over with joy as Guerrero chugged for his fourth hit of the game – tempted to try for a triple, which would have completed a cycle, before ultimately stopping at second base.

“I just looked at the third base coach [Carlos Febles], and he stopped me,” Guerrero said with a grin. “You know, you have to listen to your coach.”

Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh hit back-to-back eighth-inning homers for Seattle – window dressing for a lopsided score that recalled Toronto’s last visit to Seattle: In May, the Blue Jays swept a three-game series at T-Mobile Park, scoring 21 runs on 35 hits.

The road team has now won each of the first three games of this series – a trend Toronto needs to continue if it is to bring the ALCS back to Canada.

“I said it when we left Toronto: ‘I hope we find some slug in the air out here,’” Schneider said. “Maybe we did.”