The Seattle Mariners’ hopes of a historic maiden World Series trip took a nosedive Wednesday night as the Toronto Blue Jays came alive for a 13-4 rout in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at T-Mobile Park. Seattle, which had taken a 2-0 lead in the series, now sees that advantage trimmed to 2-1.
George Kirby, who wrestled with shoulder gremlins and inconsistency throughout the season, found himself in the eye of the storm with his career’s worst outing. In four innings, Kirby allowed eight earned runs on eight hits, including three home runs, and seven balls in play at 103+ mph, both career highs. His 21% chase rate ranked in the bottom five across 117 career appearances, per Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.
Toronto aggressively attacked Kirby’s fastball, with early-count hits driving their five-run third inning. Andres Gimenez hit a two-run homer on an 0-1 fastball, followed by Ernie Clement’s double on a first-pitch sinker, and Daulton Varsho’s two-run double on a 1-1 heater.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 4-for-4, nearly hitting for the cycle with a single, two doubles, and a home run, plus drawing an intentional walk. George Springer added a 431-foot homer to center, his 22nd career postseason long ball and 40th extra-base hit, making him the sixth player in postseason history to reach 40. Alejandro Kirk closed out the scoring with a three-run opposite-field homer in the sixth, while Addison Barger finished the night with a solo shot in the ninth.
The Blue Jays had 13 balls in play at 100+ mph, with 11 going for hits, and six players collected multiple hits and at least one RBI, a feat not accomplished in a playoff game since the 2011 ALCS by the Texas Rangers. Toronto became the first team in postseason history with at least five doubles and five home runs in the same game.
Shane Bieber, acquired by the Blue Jays at the trade deadline and still recovering from Tommy John surgery, limited Seattle to just two runs and four hits over six innings, striking out eight. After a first-inning two-run homer by Julio Rodríguez and a Jorge Polanco ground-rule double, Bieber retired 17 of the next 19 batters, shifting momentum entirely to Toronto.
The Mariners, after stoking hope with a 2-0 advantage, had their bats bottled up until late solo homers from Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh in the eighth.
The series now returns to Seattle for Game 4 on Thursday, where Luis Castillo is expected to take the mound for the Mariners.
