Julio Rodríguez and Jorge Polanco each hit three-run home runs, Josh Naylor added a two-run blast, and the Seattle Mariners dominated the Toronto Blue Jays, 10-3, on Monday to take a 2-0 lead in the 2025 American League Championship Series (ALCS 2025).
Seattle, the only MLB team never to host a World Series game, returns home for Game 3 on Wednesday, needing just two more wins in the best-of-seven series to end that historic drought.
The Blue Jays managed only six hits, with just one after the second inning, extending their struggles to eight hits in the first two ALCS 2025 games. Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 0-for-3 with a walk and remains hitless in the series.
Julio Rodríguez opened the scoring with a home run in the first inning against rookie Trey Yesavage, giving Seattle a 3-0 lead just three batters into the game. Toronto responded in the bottom half with RBI singles from Nathan Lukes and Alejandro Kirk, with Lukes tying the score in the second inning off Logan Gilbert.
The three-run homer by Jorge Polanco off Louis Varland in the fifth inning put the Mariners back in front 6-3. J.P. Crawford added an RBI single in the sixth, and Josh Naylor‘s two-run home run in the seventh against Braydon Fisher sealed the commanding win.
Polanco has been a postseason force in the MLB 2025 postseason, with six of his first seven hits driving in runs. He delivered the game-winning single in the 15th inning of Seattle’s ALDS clincher against Detroit and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the opening ALCS victory. His two previous home runs this October came off reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.
The game was played with the roof open on a breezy 62-degree Canadian Thanksgiving day, but the sellout crowd of 44,814 had little to celebrate as Seattle’s bullpen delivered nine combined scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Eduard Bazardo, Carlos Vargas, and Emerson Hancock each pitched two innings of relief.
Josh Naylor, a native of Mississauga, Ontario, appeared uncomfortable after fouling a ball off his foot in the first inning, but remained in the game on manager Dan Wilson‘s advice and hit a home run in the seventh. Rookie Trey Yesavage, taking the loss, allowed three runs and four hits in 4+ innings after previously striking out 11 Yankees in ALDS Game 2.
Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander missed the game due to a sore lower back. Davis Schneider replaced him and went 0-for-3 with a walk.
Up Next
Seattle Mariners RHP George Kirby is scheduled to start Game 3 against Toronto Blue Jays RHP Shane Bieber, the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner. Kirby struck out six and allowed one run and three hits in five innings in ALDS Game 5, while Bieber allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in 2 2/3 innings in ALDS Game 3 against the Yankees.
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