SEATTLE – Amid the stifling atmosphere at T-Mobile Park, where Seattle swept the Blue Jays from their home field just days ago, Toronto returned in the most majestic and cool way possible. This was no ordinary victory – it was a signal that a “hornet” had awakened. After painful losses in Games 1 and 2, today’s 8-2 victory tied the Toronto Blue Jays 2-2 in the 2025 American League Championship Series, forcing the game back to Toronto with everything still on the line.
And the difference maker was Mad Max. At age 41, facing doubts after a rocky season, Max Scherzer made a stunning comeback: 5 1/2 innings allowing just 2 runs, 3 hits, and 5 strikeouts—a performance not seen since mid-August. One iconic moment came when Scherzer growled at manager John Schneider and demanded he be allowed to continue playing, then felled Randy Arozarena on a curveball to end a back-and-forth inning.
Meanwhile, Andrés Giménez—who had only 7 home runs in the regular season—continued to be the difference maker. His pitching form exploded with his second consecutive 2-run homer, plus an RBI single to put the Jays up 8–2. Not to mention Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who continued to make this week a playoff fairytale with his fifth homer of the season, helping to cement his place in the organization’s history.
Unsurprisingly, while Josh Naylor opened the scoring with his second homer of the series for the Mariners, the rest was a Toronto sweep. They dominated every inning, from George Springer’s double to the small runs of Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk. The Mariners, once a team that had taken control of the series, had to watch the future champions bounce back strongly.
What’s remarkable is that this was also the fourth consecutive game in the series that the away team won – a strange record in postseason history. No one can explain why every team that played at home was defeated, but the result: the series will be forced back to Canada, where the Rogers Centre will be boiling and the Atlanta Falcons will be in full swing.
The good news doesn’t stop there. Game 5 will continue on Friday, with Scherzer expected to return to La Fog (LF), manager Marcelo Clack said. Meanwhile, Luis Castillo is still hunting for a chance to face Kevin Gausman. The next alc clap promises to be even more heated.
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