Scherzer shines at 41 as Blue Jays even ALCS with 8-2 win over Mariners

Max Scherzer turned back the clock Thursday night, leading the Toronto Blue Jays to an 8-2 win over the Seattle Mariners to even the American League Championship Series at two games apiece.

The 41-year-old right-hander allowed just two runs in 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven and becoming the oldest pitcher to start a postseason game since Jamie Moyer in 2008.

It was Scherzer’s 500th major league start, including postseason appearances.

Toronto’s offense stayed red-hot, outscoring Seattle 21-6 over the past two games at T-Mobile Park after dropping the first two contests at home.

Andrés Giménez homered for the second straight night and drove in four runs, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added his fifth home run of the postseason — most among all major leaguers this October.

The Blue Jays seized control early. Giménez launched a two-run homer off Mariners starter Luis Castillo in the third inning to put Toronto ahead for good.

Moments later, Gabe Speier walked in a run, after Castillo was pulled with the bases loaded.

Toronto’s lead grew in the fourth when George Springer doubled in a run and later scored on a wild pitch from Matt Brash.

Guerrero extended the advantage in the seventh with an opposite-field shot to right off Eduard Bazardo.

Giménez later added a two-run single in the eighth that deflected off reliever Emerson Hancock’s glove.

Seattle’s lone highlight came in the second inning when Josh Naylor homered to right, one of only three hits off Scherzer.

After a mound visit in the fifth, Scherzer convinced manager John Schneider to leave him in, then struck out Randy Arozarena with a curveball to end the inning, slamming his glove in celebration.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is set for Friday.

Toronto will send Kevin Gausman to the mound, while Seattle counters with Game 1 winner Bryce Miller, who owns a 2.61 ERA in two postseason starts this October.

PREVIOUS LIVE UPDATES

8:30 p.m. - Bottom of 9 - Seranthony Domínguez replaces Jeff Hoffman. Polanco flies out. Naylor singles. Suárez pops out. Wild pitch moves Naylor to 2nd. Canzone strikes out. Blue Jays 8-2

8:20 p.m. - Top of 9 - Kirk strikes out. Varsho strikes out. Clement lines out. Blue Jays 8-2

8:13 p.m. - Bottom of 8 - Jeff Hoffman replaces Louis Varland. Arozarena strikes out. Raleigh flies out. Rodríguez strikes out. Blue Jays 8-2

8:06 p.m. - Top of 8 - Emerson Hancock replaces Eduard Bazardo. Clement singles. Barger walks. Runners on 1st and 2nd. Pinch-runner Myles Straw replaces Addison Barger. Kiner-Falefa sacrifice bunt. Clement moves to 2nd. Runners on 2nd and 3rd. Giménez singles, Clement and Straw scores. 8-2 Blue Jays. Springer grounds into force out, Giménez out at 2nd. Lukes walks. Runners on 1st and 2nd. Guerrero Jr. flies out. Blue Jays 8-2

7:53 p.m. - Bottom of 7 - Louis Varland replaces Mason Fluharty. Canzone grounds out. Crawford grounds out. Rivas flies out. Blue Jays 6-2

7:48 p.m. - Top of 7 - Eduard Bazardo replaces Carlos Vargas. Lukes grounds out. Guerrero Jr. home run. Blue Jays 6-2. Kirk strikes out. Varsho strikes out. Blue Jays 6-2

7:37 p.m. - Bottom of 6 - Raleigh flies out. Rodríguez strikes out. Polanco walks. Mason Fluharty replaces Max Scherzer. Naylor walks. Suárez singles. Polanco scores, Naylor throw out at 3rd. Blue Jays 5-2

7:24 p.m. - Top of 6 - Carlos Vargas replaces Matt Brash. Barger doubles. Kiner-Falefa grounds out. Giménez grounds out. Springer lines out. Blue Jays 5-1

7:16 p.m. - Bottom of 5 - Canzone singles. Crawford flies out. Rivas lines out. Arozarena strikes out. Blue Jays 5-1

7:07 p.m. - Top of 5 - Humpy lost the salmon race between innings. It appears he was thrown into the wall by the other fish. Kirk grounds out. Varsho flies out. Clement grounds out. Blue Jays 5-1

7:01 p.m. - Bottom of 4 - Rodríguez strikes out. Polanco flies out. Naylor singles. Suárez strikes out. Blue Jays 5-1.

6:51 p.m. - Top of 4 - Kiner-Falefa singles. Giménez sacrifice bunt, Kiner-Falefa moves to 2nd. Springer doubles, Kiner-Falefa scores. Blue Jays 4-1. Lukes grounds out, Springer moves to 3rd. Matt Brash replaces Gabe Speier. Wild pitch, Springer scores. Blue Jays 5-1. Guerrero Jr. flies out.

6:37 p.m. - Bottom of 3 - Rivas walks. Arozarena lines out. Rivas thrown out at 1st. Raleigh strikes out. Blue Jays 3-1

6:29 p.m. - Top of 3 - Kiner-Falefa doubles to left. Giménez home run. 2-1 Blue Jays. Springer grounds out. Lukes singles. Guerrero Jr. singles. Runners on 1st and 2nd. Kirk walks. Bases loaded. Gabe Speier replaces Luis Castillo. Varsho bases loaded walk. Blue Jays 3-1. Clement strikes out. Barger strikes out. Blue Jays 3-1

6:05 p.m. - Bottom of 2 - Naylor home run! 1-0 Mariners. Suárez flies out. Canzone grounds out. Crawford flies out. 1-0 Mariners

5:56 p.m. - Top of 2 - Kirk pops out. Varsho strikes out. Clement singles. Barger lines out. 0-0

5:48 p.m. - Bottom of 1 - Arozarena grounds out. Raleigh walks. Rodríguez walks. Runners on 1st and 2nd. Polanco grounds into double play. 0-0

5:37 p.m. - Top of 1 - Springer lines out. Lukes grounds out. Guerrero Jr. grounds out. Castillo gets it done in 7 pitches. 0-0

5:30 p.m. - Blue Jays OF Anthony Santander has been pulled from the ALCS and will be ineligible for the World Series. Jamie Moyer throws out the first pitch.

5:25 p.m. - Mariners are looking for their first home ALCS win since 2000. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Big Papi all picked the Mariners to win tonight. First pitch is 5:33 p.m.

EARLIER UPDATES:

Seattle has scored first in seven of its eight postseason games this year, including every home game at T-Mobile Park.

No other team in the 2025 playoffs has opened the scoring more often.

The Blue Jays rank second, having struck first in five games.

The Mariners are 4–3 when scoring first and 2–2 at home.

Tonight’s game will air nationally on FS1, with Joe Davis and John Smoltz on the call, and field reporting by Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci. Local fans can tune in on Seattle Sports 710 AM, where Rick Rizzs, Aaron Goldsmith, and Gary Hill Jr. will handle radio duties. ESPN Radio will also broadcast the game with Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, and Tim Kurkjian.

The Mariners dropped Game 3 in a lopsided 13–4 loss Monday night but still hold the series lead.

A win tonight would put them within one victory of reaching the World Series for the first time in franchise history — and mark their first home ALCS win since October 15, 2000.

This year marks Seattle’s fourth ALCS appearance (1995, 2000, 2001, and 2025).

The club’s return has energized fans eager to see them win a pennant for the first time in their history.

Seattle’s offense produced a nostalgic highlight in Game 3 when Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning — the team’s first postseason back-to-backs since Edgar Martinez and John Olerud did it exactly 25 years earlier, to the day.

Manager Dan Wilson, in his first full season at the helm, led Seattle to a 90–72 record and the team’s first division title since 2001.

Including postseason play, Wilson is 116–88 as skipper.

Luis Castillo will start Game 4. The ace has yet to allow an earned run this postseason, giving up just one hit across six total innings. Castillo’s postseason history with the Mariners includes a dominant 7.1-inning performance in the 2022 Wild Card against these same Blue Jays, leading to a 4–0 win in Toronto.

Andrés Muñoz, Seattle’s All-Star closer, remains perfect through five postseason outings, with no hits allowed in 6.1 innings and a 0.316 WHIP.

Jorge Polanco continues to shine with a .265 average, three homers, and eight RBI this postseason. From October 10–13, he delivered go-ahead hits in three consecutive games — a first in MLB playoff history for hits in the fifth inning or later, according to Opta Stats.

Eduard Bazardo has quietly been a postseason workhorse. The reliever has appeared in six games, recording a 3.38 ERA and nine strikeouts, with all three runs allowed coming in one outing.

Catcher Cal Raleigh remains Seattle’s offensive leader, hitting .344 this postseason with three home runs and a 1.103 OPS — the second-highest single-postseason mark for a catcher in MLB history.

Seattle and Toronto, expansion siblings from 1977, meet in the postseason for just the second time.

The Mariners swept the Blue Jays in the 2022 Wild Card Series, highlighted by Castillo’s 7.1 scoreless innings in Game 1 and Seattle’s dramatic 10–9 comeback in Game 2 — still tied for the second-largest comeback in MLB playoff history.

Of Seattle’s 26 ALCS roster players, 16 have prior postseason experience, and three — Victor Robles (2019 Nationals), Luke Jackson (2021 Braves), and Mitch Garver (2023 Rangers) — have World Series rings.

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