The latest:
- Mariners’ Josh Naylor — from Mississauga, Ont., — rips a solo home run to take an early 1-0 lead over the Jays.
- Max Scherzer gets his 1st start of the post-season for the Jays in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS), while Luis Castillo takes the mound for the Mariners at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park
- Anthony Santander has been taken off the Jays’ ALCS roster due to injury. He’s being replaced by outfielder Joey Loperfido.
- The Jays walloped the Mariners 13-4 in Game 3, but Seattle still leads the ALCS 2-1.
The Mariners have put the first run on the board in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) at T-Mobile Park on Thursday evening, via a leadoff home run from Canadian Josh Naylor in the second inning, putting Seattle ahead of Toronto 1-0.
Toronto pitcher Max Scherzer escaped the first inning unscathed after walking a couple of runners. Naylor’s home run to start off the second was the first blemish for the veteran starter, but he managed to coax three outs after that, escaping further trouble in the second.
The Blue Jays are looking to pull even with the Mariners, who hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The Mariners beat the Blue Jays in the first two games of the ALCS, as Toronto struggled to put runs on the board — with Seattle winning 3-1 in Sunday’s Game 1, and 10-3 in Monday’s Game 2.
But Toronto’s offensive fortunes changed dramatically in last night’s Game 3, when five Blue Jays — including Andrés Giménez, George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger — hit home runs and helped pummel the Mariners to a final score of 13-4.
Addison Barger’s ninth-inning solo shot was among five Blue Jay home runs at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park in Wednesday’s Game 3. Seattle leads the series 2-1, and Toronto is looking to pull even with the Mariners in Game 4 on Thursday evening. (David J. Phillip/The Associated Press)
Scherzer’s big game experience
It’s up to Scherzer to keep the Blue Jays on a winning track.
The 41-year-old has pitched in big games before, amassing 143 innings of post-season action during his long MLB career.
Following a rough end to the regular season, Scherzer was left off the roster for the American League Division Series where Toronto eliminated the New York Yankees.
The Blue Jays will look to veteran starter Max Scherzer to keep Toronto on a winning track in Thursday’s Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. Seattle leads the best-of-seven series 2-1. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)
Kirk, the Blue Jays catcher, said he expected to see Scherzer bring the same “winning mentality” to Game 4 that he always brings when on the mound.
“I have seen that every day from him, so that’s what I expect from him,” Kirk told reporters ahead of the game, via an interpreter.
The Blue Jays don’t want to lose Game 4, as that would turn Game 5 — and any potential game after that — into a must-win situation for Toronto.
The Mariners are relying on starter Luis Castillo to stop the Jays from claiming a second straight win.
Santander pulled from ALCS roster
On Thursday afternoon, the Jays had signalled that Anthony Santander wouldn’t be in the starting lineup for Toronto during Game 4, due to back stiffness.
Roughly an hour before gametime, the team announced that he’d been pulled from the ALCS roster due to injury.
He’s being replaced by outfielder Joey Loperfido.
Anthony Santander has been pulled from the Toronto ALCS roster due to injury. (Lindsey Wasson/The Associated Press)
Game 5 pitchers announced
Toronto intends to send Kevin Gausman, who started Game 1, back to the mound for Game 5 on Friday. Seattle will counter with Bryce Miller, who was the winning pitcher in Sunday’s Game 1.
“Obviously, pitched well against Toronto in the first game and we’re looking forward to giving him the ball tomorrow,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Thursday.
The winner of the ALCS will advance to the World Series, to play the winner of the parallel National League Championship Series — either the Milwaukee Brewers or the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Toronto is hoping to secure its first World Series berth in more than three decades, while Seattle is fighting to reach the Fall Classic for the first time ever.
WATCH | Assessing the Blue Jays’ chances:
Diamonds and rings: The CBC’s Andrew Nichols and longtime MLB coach Dave McKay talk baseball
As the Blue Jays and the Mariners play in the 2025 ALCS, we look at their chances with a Canadian Baseball Hall-of-Famer who needs BOTH hands for all his rings. Get the latest on CBCNews.ca, the CBC News App, and CBC News Network for breaking news and analysis.
