TORONTO
The Mariners’ mostly tortured history?
Jorge Polanco, Julio Rodriguez and the 2025 M’s are making their own.
They are owning an October that is more mind-blowing by the day.
Polanco, otra vez, and Rodriguez stunned top-seeded Toronto’s packed, roaring Rogers Centre crowd of 44,814 by hitting three-run home runs.
“I’m clutch,” Polanco said after the game at his locker in the happy, but not satisfied, visiting clubhouse.
Local guy Josh Naylor hit his first home run this postseason. And a bullpen charitably described as rocky earlier in these playoffs was rock-solid Monday. Eduard Bazardo, Carlos Vargas and Emerson Hancock threw six shutout innings. That was after ineffective starter Logan Gilbert gave back an early, 3-0 lead.
Incredibly, it was Mariners 10, Blue Jays 3, in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. More incredibly: The M’s won both games in Toronto for a 2-0 series lead. Now this best-of-seven set heads to Seattle.
“I thought the at-bat there to get the three-run homer was a huge turnaround for us,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “We had kind of given up the lead. It had been tied up there again, and to get that three-run lead back was big. That was just a great at-bat, getting in there and just doing what ‘Polo’ does.”
What ‘Polo’ is doing in winning ALCS games.
This is the fourth league championship in the 48-year history of the Mariners.
It’s the first time Seattle has ever led an ALCS two games to none.
The Mariners are two wins from their first World Series. They have home games for the next three — or maybe only two? — games back at off-the-hook T-Mobile Park beginning with Game 3 on Wednesday afternoon.
But team leader and MVP candidate Cal Raleigh has been walking around the clubhouse with a T-shirt that read: “Job’s not finished.”
Rodriguez is echoing that message.
“It feels good,” the All-Star center fielder said. “But it’s one game at a time. That’s our mentality. That’s how we’re taking it, because that’s all we can control. We are going to show up and try to take care of business for that game.
“I feel like everyone is on that same page…So there’s not really a lot to talk about before the games. Everyone knows the deal.
“Very excited, because I know our fans are very excited for us to get back.”
No one in the Pacific Northwest saw this coming.
Except the 26 guys doing it.
Polanco was the hero that got the Mariners here with a single in the bottom of the 15th inning to win the deciding fifth game of the division series over Detroit. His RBI singles in the sixth and eighth innings Sunday won the Mariners Game 1 in Toronto 3-1.
He did it again Monday in Game 2 of the ALCS.
A wild first four innings got wilder for Seattle when Polanco broke a 3-3 tie with Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh on base in the top of the fifth. Polanco, a switch-hitter batting from the left side, sent a thigh-high, 98-mph fastball from Toronto right-handed reliever Louis Varland just over the wall beyond right-center field. His third home run this postseason restored the three-run lead Rodriguez had given the Mariners with his home run in the top of the first.
As Polanco went trident-up in the Mariners dugout after his game-breaking homer, his biggest teammate cheerleader was Rodriguez. The All-Star center fielder pumped both his arms to the gray sky above, roaring for Polanco. That was about a minute after Rodriguez had struck out to precede Polanco’s missile launch.
The rollicking Mariners led 6-3. Canada’s Thanksgiving day was suddenly thankless. “To get the three-run homer was a huge turnaround for us,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “We had kind of given up the lead. It had been tied up there again, and to get that three-run lead back was big.
“That was just a great at-bat, getting in there and just doing what ‘Polo’ does.”
Polanco’s blast left Rogers Centre so silent, you could hear one of the Mounties from Royal Canadian Mounted Police that were the color guard for the Canadian national anthem before first pitch mount his horse. “Yeah, I do. I love those situations,” Polanco said.
“I’m clutch. But I’m just trying to keep it simple. I love to be in those situations. I love my teammates to be in those situations.
“Just trying to keep it simple.”
Simply sublime for Seattle. He is 4 for 9 (.444) with a home run, five RBIs and two runs scored in this series. He has three home runs with an OPS of .851 in seven playoff games the last two weeks.
Polanco is the first player in major-league history to have a go-ahead hit in the fifth inning or later in three consecutive postseason games.
“Yeah, coming up huge in big moments,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Just his at-bats have been so good, again, whether it’s right-handed or left-handed. Tonight it was left-handed.
“He waits to get a good pitch and he puts a really good swing on it, and he’s a tough out right now. It’s been huge for us, and he’s come up in situations where we’ve had guys on, and he’s been able to do the job and drive them in. That’s what this game is all about. It’s been phenomenal.
Seattle’s lead grew from there.
It got to 7-3 in the sixth. Backup catcher Mitch Garver, the subject of non-stop ire across the Pacific Northwest for his 2024 and early 2025 struggles, tripled off the left-center field wall leading off. Leo Rivas pinch-ran for him. Rivas scored one out later on J.P. Crawford’s single off reliever Mason Fluherty.
In the seventh, Toronto-area native Josh Naylor joined in the home-run fun. He launched a two-run homer into the standing patrons of one of the bars beyond right field. As he crossed home plate to make it 9-3 Seattle, Naylor waved to the dozen or so roaring fans apparently from Naylor’s hometown of Mississauga, Ontario, who were about a half-dozen rows behind the Mariners dugout.
Then Naylor came out of the dugout to thrust the celebration trident at his cheering section after his first home run this postseason.
“I was very thankful to get some hits, help the team out. Super cool to do it in front of my family, too,” Naylor said. “Very blessed to have them all here, all my friends. And it was a really cool moment for them.”
And for Seattle. The Mariners need to sign pending free agent Naylor for 2026, and beyond. Like, yesterday.
Later in the seventh, Crawford got his second RBI in as many innings. His sacrifice fly scored Eugenio Suarez from third, after Suarez had walked and advanced on two more walks. Improbably, the Mariners had a touchdown lead, 10-3.
Wilson didn’t have to use his tired, key relivers to keep the Mariners ahead in the middle to late innings. Eduard Bazardo, Carlos Vargas and Emerson Hancock held the Blue Jays to their three runs from the fourth through the ninth innings. “Unbelievable,” Logan Gilbert said of the three relievers who followed him allowing three runs in the first two innings.
Toronto briefly tied the game at 3 off him.
This was Seattle’s first victory without using top relievers Gabe Speier, Matt Brash or Andrés Muñoz since they clinched their first AL West division title since 2001 on Sept. 24, running away from the lowly Colorado Rockies.
The ALCS now goes to Seattle for Games 3, 4 and (if needed) 5 at T-Mobile Park. George Kirby, brilliant against Detroit Friday to start the Mariners’ epic, 15-inning Game 5 of the division series, starts Game 3 Wednesday at 5:08 p.m. in Seattle. He’ll oppose Toronto right-hander Shane Bieber.
Jorge Polanco (7) of the Seattle Mariners celebrates with teammates Cal Raleigh (29) and Randy Arozarena (56) after hitting a three run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning in game two of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on Oct. 13, 2025 in Toronto. Cole Burston Getty Images
Eduard Bazardo, unlikely hero
Game 2 starter Logan Gilbert didn’t have it.
Bazardo sure did.
One of the more unlikely Mariners heroes increasingly became one during the regular season, getting higher and higher leverage situations from manager Dan Wilson.
Monday in Game 2 was the biggest spot yet for the 30-year-old former international free agent signed out his native Venezuela by Boston in 2014, who debuted in the majors for the Red Sox seven years after he signed.
He entered for the bottom of the fourth, for the struggling Gilbert, in a 3-3 game. Bazardo had the Blue Jays who had been ripping Gilbert with line drives all over Rogers Centre flailing. Four of the seven Jays that faced Bazardo produced topped choppers that didn’t get past the pitcher’s mound.
Bazardo and catcher Raleigh fielded them all and threw to Naylor at first base for outs.
Relief pitcher Eduard Bazardo (left) of the Seattle Mariners checks on teammate Cal Raleigh (right) after a play against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning in game two of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on Oct. 13, 2025 in Toronto. Vaughn Ridley Getty Images
Bazardo pitched two scoreless innings, allowing only a ground-ball single. When he stranded a Toronto runner at second base to end the fifth, keep Seattle in front 6-3 and keep Rogers Centre hushed, his teammates swarmed Bazardo in the Mariners dugout.
Wilson hugged the right-hander. Rodriguez hugged him, twice.
Then the superstar showed Bazardo an elaborate hand-shake celebration. It ended with Rodriguez pantomiming a cowboy lasso rope toss then body turn. Bazardo and Rodriguez laughed.
“Yeah, it’s very emotional. I’m very grateful for the opportunity that Dan gave us,” Bazardo said, in his first career postseason press conference on a podium. “Obviously, the game (versus) Detroit (15 innings Friday) was a little long, longer than we needed to, but we’re in the postseason. We’re all here trying to do the most we can to win.
“And the end goal is to get to the World Series.”
Wild start to Game 2
Rodriguez jolted the packed house three batters into the game.
He smashed a three-run home run just inside the foul-pole netting in sharp left field. After he fell behind to Yesavage 0-2, Rodriguez turned on a 1-2 slider at 84 mph Toronto’s rookie starter hung over the plate. Rodriguez took the trident the Mariners have to celebrate home runs to punctuate his 34th home run of the regular and postseason. He paraded through the cheering dugout with it for multiple minutes. “Just something up in the zone that I could hit,” Rodriguez said, shrugging like he’s done it before.
As in, 112 times in four regular seasons, now twice in this postseason.
TORONTO, ONTARIO – OCTOBER 13: Julio Rodríguez of the Seattle Mariners hits a three run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning in game two of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on Oct. 13, 2025 in Toronto. Cole Burston Getty Images
Logan Gilbert’s short day
Gilbert and the Mariners had an instant, 3-0 lead three batters into the game. The prospect of coming home with a 2-0 series lead and the next three games in Seattle was real.
Except to the Blue Jays.
They got two of those runs back in the bottom of the first.
Gilbert lacked the command of his breaking pitches, left many hanging over the plate, and didn’t get two fastballs called strikes that should have been as Toronto tied the game and ended his night after just three innings.
George Springer just missed his second lead-off home run to begin a game in two nights, foul beyond left field by a few feet. Then he doubled, his major league-record 12th career hit to leadoff a postseason game. Nathan Lukes then hit a chopper Naylor fielded wide of first base in plenty of time to throw out Toronto’s right fielder, with Gilbert running over to cover first base. But Naylor rushed an awkward, sidearm toss that was more a football quarterback’s option pitch to a tailback. The ball sailed well wide left of the pitcher off the bag to the railing of Seattle’s dugout for a two-base error and a run scored.
Lukes scored when Alejandro Kirk singled off Gilbert with two outs.
Toronto tied it at 3 in the bottom of the second, with a defensive choice by Naylor again a factor. On a chopper by Davis Schneider to Naylor, the first baseman could have thrown to second base to retire Ernie Clement from first there. Shortstop J.P. Crawford was standing on the base waiting for the throw — that never came. Naylor walked over to first to record the out there.
Clement got to third on another ground out. Then Gilbert should have struck out Springer to end the inning there, twice. But home plate umpire Doug Eddings called two strikes on the outside edge of the plate for balls three and four, and a walk. Lukes then singled home Clement to tie the game, instead of the inning ending with Seattle still up 3-2. “Felt pretty good, for the most part,” Gilbert said. “Made a couple mistakes. The last batter, the second to last, (my slider) backed up a little bit.”
It was not Gilbert’s night, at all: three innings, five hits, three runs, two earned, one walk, two strikeouts.
It was Polanco’s night.
Again.
Jorge Polanco (7) of the Seattle Mariners rounds the bases after hitting a three run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning in game two of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on Oct. 13, 2025 in Toronto. Cole Burston Getty Images
This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 5:31 PM.
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Gregg Bell
The News Tribune
Gregg Bell is the Seahawks and NFL writer for The News Tribune. He is a two-time Washington state sportswriter of the year, voted by the National Sports Media Association in January 2023 and January 2019. He started covering the NFL in 2002 as the Oakland Raiders beat writer for The Sacramento Bee. The Ohio native began covering the Seahawks in their first Super Bowl season of 2005. In a prior life he graduated from West Point and served as a tactical intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, so he may ask you to drop and give him 10.
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