SEATTLE – Max Scherzer pitched 5 2/3 innings for his first playoff victory since 2019 as the Toronto Blue Jays evened the American League Championship Series by beating the Seattle Mariners 8-2 in Game 4 on Thursday.
Andres Gimenez and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. both homered for the second straight game as the Blue Jays reeled off two straight road wins to even the best-of-seven series after losing the first two at home.
Gimenez drove in four runs, and he, Guerrero, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ernie Clement each had two of Toronto’s 11 hits.
Josh Naylor homered and went 3-for-3 for the Mariners, who finished with five hits.
Game 5 is scheduled for Friday in Seattle.
Scherzer (1-0) was charged with two runs on three hits in the 500th start of his major league career. He walked four and struck out five.
The 41-year-old right-hander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, made his first appearance since September 24. A neck illness kept him out of the Blue Jays’ AL Division Series.
The Blue Jays followed the same script as in their 13-4 victory in Game 3.
Toronto fell behind early, this time on Naylor’s leadoff homer to right center in the second inning, before taking the lead in the third.
Kiner-Falefa opened the game with a double down the left field line, and Gimenez followed with a home run to beat Luis Castillo (1-1).
With one out, Nathan Lukes and Guerrero singled before Alejandro Kirk walked to load the bases, prompting Mariners manager Dan Wilson to replace Castillo with left-hander Gabe Speier. That decision backfired when Speier walked Daulton Varsho to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.
Castillo allowed three runs on five hits and one walk in 2 1/3 innings. He took one out.
Toronto widened the gap in the fourth. Kiner-Falefa led off with a single to center, moved to second on a sacrifice by Gimenez and scored on George Springer’s double to left. Springer took third on a groundout before racing home on a wild pitch from Matt Brash to make it 5-1.
The Mariners got a run in the sixth after Jorge Polanco drew a two-out walk to end Scherzer’s night. Reliever Mason Fluharty walked Naylor before Eugenio Suarez lined a run-scoring single, with right fielder Addison Barger throwing out Naylor at third to end the inning.
Guerrero went deep to right center with one out in the seventh against Eduard Bazardo to make it 6-2.
The Blue Jays scored two more runs in the eighth. Clement led off with a single and Barger walked. After a sacrifice by Kiner-Falefa, Gimenez hit a two-run single up the middle to extend the lead to 8-2.
–Field level media
