Mariners safe comeback victory over Blue Jays, advance to ALDS vs. Astros

Alek Manoah gazed into his locker-room stall with a despondent look. Jordan Romano sat in his chair and slowly let loose an expletive earlier than untying his cleats.

An air of surprised resignation hung within the air Saturday evening because the Toronto Blue Jays tried to soak up a wild-card sequence elimination none of them noticed coming.

Armed with a seven-run lead and a boisterous sellout crowd, a Game 2 victory appeared to be within the bag when Toronto led Seattle 8-1 after 5 innings. But it fell aside in exceptional vogue because the Mariners used two four-run frames to tie the sport earlier than including one other run within the ninth inning for a 10-9 win.

“It was a heavyweight match that was just back and forth,” stated Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen. “There were punches thrown all game. It was a tough one.”

Instead of planning for a decisive Game 3 on Sunday, it was a two-and-out playoff exit for the Blue Jays for the second time in three years. 

“It’s really hard,” stated Blue Jays slugger Teoscar Hernandez. “There’s nothing I can say that’s going to make me feel better for a while.”

Hernandez hit two homers to assist energy the Blue Jays to their massive early lead. But Carlos Santana hit a three-run shot within the sixth inning and J.P. Crawford lifted a bases-loaded blooper within the eighth off Romano that introduced the Mariners all the way in which again. 

Shortstop Bo Bichette bumped into shallow centre discipline as George Springer sprinted in and so they collided because the ball discovered the turf. Three runs scored on the play because the Seattle dugout erupted at their success.

Springer was shaken up on the play and was later taken off the sphere on a golf cart. Manager John Schneider stated Springer spoke to his teammates after the sport and will probably be OK, however didn’t present damage particulars.

“That ball, two feet farther back it’s probably caught and two feet in and it’s caught,” Romano stated. “But that’s baseball. Bounces don’t go your way all the time.”

Cal Raleigh doubled off Romano within the ninth inning and scored the go-ahead run when Adam Frazier lashed a two-out double into the right-field nook. 

George Kirby earned the save to seal Seattle’s two-game sweep. The Mariners partied on the infield with relations and staff officers for greater than an hour after the sport. 

“We don’t quit. We haven’t quit all year,” stated Mariners supervisor Scott Servais. “There’s a certain resolve that our group has. They just believe in each other.”

The Blue Jays have been left to console one another with hugs and well-wishes of their locker-room. 

“It’s a special group,” Schneider stated. “A group that’s going to be together for a while. Right now it’s just tough, but the guys are going to be better for it.”

The Blue Jays have been swept by Tampa Bay within the wild-card spherical in 2020 and missed the post-season final 12 months.

The Mariners and Houston Astros will open the best-of-five American League Division Series on Tuesday in Texas.

Raleigh scored three runs and had three of Seattle’s 13 hits. Jansen had three hits and drove in two runs for the Blue Jays whereas Santiago Espinal and Alejandro Kirk added two hits apiece. 

Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman turned in a good begin that lasted 5 2/3 innings. Former Blue Jays left-hander Robbie Ray lasted three-plus frames in his first begin in Toronto since signing with Seattle within the low season.

Gausman left his final regular-season begin after three innings with a reduce on the center finger of his throwing hand. He confirmed no ailing results within the late-afternoon begin and was in full management within the early going. 

He acquired some defensive assist from Bichette, who made a stellar catch within the second inning that put a cost into the group of 47,156. 

He timed a leap completely to snag a liner from Frazier and Gausman adopted with two strikeouts. The spark carried over into the underside half of the body. 

Kirk led off with a double and Hernandez launched a rainbow blast for his first profession playoff homer. 

Ray inked a long-term cope with the Mariners after successful the AL Cy Young Award final 12 months with Toronto. He was booed earlier than the sport and followers derisively chanted his first title at occasions.

He gave up one other leadoff double within the third as Espinal stroked a pitch into the left-field nook. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., scorched a single up the center to make it 3-0. 

Hernandez belted a first-pitch fastball over the wall within the fourth inning to finish Ray’s day. The veteran southpaw gave up six hits and 4 earned runs with 4 strikeouts.

Gausman, in the meantime, set down 10 Mariners so as earlier than giving up a leadoff single to Frazier within the fifth. 

Santana adopted with a double that bounced off the highest of the wall in centre discipline and stayed within the park. Frazier went to 3rd and scored on a Jarred Kelenic sacrifice fly.

The Blue Jays began to drag away with 4 runs within the backside half. Toronto loaded the bases on an Espinal single, Bichette double and intentional stroll to Guerrero.

All three gamers would rating — on a handed ball, hit batsman and sacrifice fly, respectively — earlier than Jansen drove in Kirk with a double to make it 8-1. 

Reliever Diego Castillo took over from Paul Sewald and hit Whit Merrifield within the head together with his first pitch. Merrifield was examined by a coach and took first base however was later changed in left discipline by Raimel Tapia.

The Mariners loaded the bases within the sixth however Gausman responded by getting a strikeout and pop fly. Schneider turned to the bullpen and Gausman obtained a standing ovation as he walked to the dugout.

Left-hander Tim Mayza got here on and gave up a run on a wild pitch. Santana introduced dwelling the opposite runners together with his first homer of the playoffs. 

“You trust the guys that got you here,” Schneider stated of his bullpen administration. “You belief your total roster. Today we did not get it carried out and so they beat us. That sucks proper now.

“But again, the guys that did the job they did to get here, I’ll never have any fear about putting them in again.”

Jansen stroked an RBI single within the seventh inning to pad Toronto’s lead. Seattle scored a run off Anthony Bass within the eighth and put two runners on with no one out.

Romano, from Markham, Ont., got here on and gave up a single to Frazier that loaded the bases. The Toronto nearer fanned Santana and Dylan Moore earlier than Crawford’s game-tying blooper.

Jackie Bradley Jr., changed Springer in centre discipline. Bichette stayed within the recreation and reached third base within the backside of the eighth however was left stranded on a Kirk groundout. 

Matt Chapman reached on a one-out stroll within the ninth however Kirby struck out Jansen and acquired Tapia on a fly out to finish a rollicking recreation that lasted 4 hours 13 minutes.

Espinal, who missed the final two weeks with an indirect damage, acquired the beginning at second base. Jansen was behind the plate whereas Kirk moved to designated hitter.

Gausman allowed 5 hits, 4 earned runs and a stroll. He had seven strikeouts.

Manoah took the Game 1 loss on Friday as Seattle blanked Toronto 4-0 within the Blue Jays’ first dwelling playoff recreation since 2016.

The Blue Jays gained 92 video games within the common season — two greater than Seattle — and secured the highest wild-card seed with a number of video games left within the season. That allowed Toronto to relaxation some core gamers and line up their starters to pitch on common relaxation.

But it did not repay towards the Mariners, who travelled throughout the continent and weren’t intimidated by the boisterous Toronto crowds. 

“You’ve got to tip your cap,” Chapman stated. “Everybody except one team is always pissed at the end of the year. So unfortunately it happened to us a little earlier than we wanted it to.”

The Blue Jays have not gained a playoff sequence since 2016 once they reached the AL Championship Series for the second straight 12 months. Toronto final gained the World Series in 1993. 

Seattle ended a 21-year playoff drought this 12 months. It was the primary time the 1977 growth cousins have performed one another within the post-season.