Canada·UpdatedThe Blue Jays are looking to pull even with the Mariners in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park Thursday. Seattle still leads the series 2-1, but Toronto hopes to build on the momentum from Wednesday’s Game 3 win.For 2nd night in a row, the Blue Jays pitchers and hitters are cruising as they look to even the seriesGeoff Nixon · CBC News · Posted: Oct 16, 2025 6:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 12 minutes agoToronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. blasts a solo home run in the seventh inning during Game 4 of the ALCS at T-Mobile Park on Thursday. (Stephen Brashear/Imagn Images/Reuters) The latest:Ernie Clement hit a lead-off single for the Jays in the top of the eighth, followed by a walk for Addison Barger. Isiah Kiner-Falefa advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt and Andrés Giménez singled, driving in two runs, making it 8-2.Max Scherzer got his 1st start of the post-season for the Jays in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS), while Castillo took the mound for the Mariners at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.Kevin Gausman will get the start for the Jays in Game 5 on Friday night in Seattle. The Jays are looking to even the ALCS, which Seattle currently leads 2-1. The Blue Jays hold an 8-2 lead over the Mariners late in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series unfolding at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park on Thursday night. Seattle scored an early run in the second inning of the game, jumping out to a 1-0 lead. But the Blue Jays soon answered back, scoring three runs in the third and two more in the fourth to bring the score to 5-1.The Mariners managed to bring another runner home in the bottom of the sixth, trimming Toronto’s lead to 5-2.But Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added some padding by crushing a solo home run in the seventh inning, pushing the score to 6-2.Toronto added two more runs in the eighth inning, courtesy of an RBI single from Andrés Giménez, running up the lead to 8-2.Jays score 5 runs across 3rd, 4th inningsIsiah Kiner-Falefa led off the fourth with a leadoff single, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Giménez. Toronto slugger George Springer then hit an RBI double to cash in a run from Kiner-Falefa, bringing the Blue Jays’ lead to 4-1.They added another run when Seattle reliever Matt Brash threw a wild pitch, which allowed Springer to score, extending the lead to 5-1.In the top of the third inning, Giménez — for the second night in a row — hit a two-run home run, giving his team a 2-1 lead.Blue Jays infielder Andrés Giménez celebrates his two-run home run during the third inning in Game 4 of the ALCS on Thursday in Seattle. (David J. Phillip/The Associated Press)Seattle starter Luis Castillo then loaded the bases and was pulled from the game. He had only recorded seven outs when he left the game.Reliever Gabe Speier then walked Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho to bring another run home, extending Toronto’s lead to 3-1 at that time.The Mariners put the first run on the board in the second inning — a leadoff solo home run from Canadian Josh Naylor, putting Seattle ahead 1-0 briefly.A very solid ScherzerThe Blue Jays also benefitted from a very solid start from 41-year-old veteran Max Scherzer, who took Toronto through the first half of Game 4 before being pulled.Scherzer escaped the first inning unscathed after walking a couple of runners. Naylor’s home run to start off the second was the first blemish for the veteran starter, but he managed to coax three outs after that, getting himself out of further trouble in the second.He got through the third inning without surrendering a run, and managed to pick off Seattle’s Leo Rivas at first base. He also struck out Seattle slugger Cal Raleigh. Scherzer also made it through the fourth and fifth innings without any runs. When John Schneider visited the mound in the fifth, Scherzer indicated he wanted to stay in the game, and the Jays manager let him. He returned in the sixth and recorded two outs, but after walking Jorge Polanco, Schneider was back to take the ball from his starter. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer talks to manager John Schneider in the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners during Game 4 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. (Kevin Ng/Imagn Images/Reuters)Aiming to even the seriesThe Blue Jays are looking to pull even with the Mariners, who hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.The Mariners beat the Blue Jays in the first two games of the ALCS, as Toronto struggled to put runs on the board — with Seattle winning 3-1 in Sunday’s Game 1, and 10-3 in Monday’s Game 2. But Toronto’s offensive fortunes changed dramatically in last night’s Game 3, when five Blue Jays hit home runs and helped pummel the Mariners to a final score of 13-4. Scherzer’s big game experienceScherzer has pitched in big games before, amassing 143 innings of post-season action during his long MLB career, prior to Thursday’s start.Following a rough end to the regular season, Scherzer was left off the roster for the American League Division Series where Toronto eliminated the New York Yankees.Kirk, the Blue Jays catcher, said he expected to see Scherzer bring the same “winning mentality” to Game 4 that he always brings when on the mound.”I have seen that every day from him, so that’s what I expect from him,” Kirk told reporters ahead of the game, via an interpreter.The Blue Jays don’t want to lose Game 4, as that would turn Game 5 — and any potential game after that — into a must-win situation for Toronto.Santander pulled from ALCS rosterOn Thursday afternoon, the Jays had signalled that Anthony Santander wouldn’t be in the starting lineup for Toronto during Game 4, due to back stiffness.Roughly an hour before gametime, the team announced that he’d been pulled from the ALCS roster due to injury.He’s being replaced by outfielder Joey Loperfido.Anthony Santander has been pulled from the Toronto ALCS roster due to injury. (Lindsey Wasson/The Associated Press)Game 5 pitchers announcedToronto intends to send Kevin Gausman, who started Game 1, back to the mound for Game 5 on Friday. Seattle will counter with Bryce Miller, who was the winning pitcher in Sunday’s Game 1.”Obviously, pitched well against Toronto in the first game and we’re looking forward to giving him the ball tomorrow,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Thursday.The winner of the ALCS will advance to the World Series, to play the winner of the parallel National League Championship Series — either the Milwaukee Brewers or the Los Angeles Dodgers.Toronto is hoping to secure its first World Series berth in more than three decades, while Seattle is fighting to reach the Fall Classic for the first time ever.WATCH | Assessing the Blue Jays’ chances:Diamonds and rings: The CBC’s Andrew Nichols and longtime MLB coach Dave McKay talk baseballAs the Blue Jays and the Mariners play in the 2025 ALCS, we look at their chances with a Canadian Baseball Hall-of-Famer who needs BOTH hands for all his rings. Get the latest on CBCNews.ca, the CBC News App, and CBC News Network for breaking news and analysis. ABOUT THE AUTHORGeoff Nixon is a writer on CBC’s national digital desk in Toronto. He has covered a wealth of topics, from real estate to technology to world events.With files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press
Blue Jays extend lead to 8-2 over Mariners late in Game 4 of ALCS
