CanadaThe Blue Jays have taken the wind out of the Mariners’ sails with another decisive victory in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), taking Game 4 by a score of 8-2 in Seattle Thursday and tying the playoff series. Toronto has evened the American League Championship Series at 2 games eachGeoff Nixon · CBC News · Posted: Oct 16, 2025 6:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoVladimir Guerrero Jr. celebrates after the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Seattle Mariners 8-2 to win Game 4 of the American League Championship Series at T-Mobile Park on Thursday in Seattle. The series is now tied 2-2. ( Alika Jenner/Getty Images)The Toronto Blue Jays rode another wave of relentless offence and solid pitching to secure a critical 8-2 win over the Seattle Mariners in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) on Thursday night, tying up the best-of-seven series to two games apiece.The Mariners got on the scoreboard first, courtesy of a solo home run from Canada’s Josh Naylor, giving Seattle an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.But that lead was short-lived, as Toronto scored three runs in the third, and two more in the fourth putting the Blue Jays ahead 5-1 before the halfway point. For the second night in a row, Toronto infielder Andrés Giménez hit a two-run home run in the third inning to get things started for the Jays.Toronto Blue Jays infielder Andrés Giménez celebrates his two-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in Seattle. (David J. Phillip/The Associated Press)Bursts of offence, solid pitchingThe Mariners would add one more run in the bottom of the sixth to trim Toronto’s lead to 5-2, but the Blue Jays kept on finding ways to cash in runs. Another came via a seventh-inning solo blast from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., followed by two more insurance runs Toronto scored in the eighth inning.Also helping the team to victory was a very solid start by 41-year-old pitcher Max Scherzer, who made his first playoff appearance as a member of the Blue Jays.After giving up the early home run to Naylor, Scherzer pitched into the sixth inning, striking out five Mariners along the way.Blue Jays manager John Schneider had a lot of praise for Scherzer, and said he got stronger as the game went on.”He lives for this, and you have to respect that, and you have to appreciate that,” Schneider told reporters after the Game 4 victory.Scherzer stays in the gameSchneider went out to the mound to visit Scherzer in the fifth, only to leave with the veteran starter still in the game. “It was awesome — I thought he was going to kill me, it was great,” Schneider said later of Scherzer’s intensity during their meet-up.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)Scherzer said the conversation was short and to the point.”We had a little conversation that basically I wanted to stay in the ball game,” he said.Scherzer returned in the sixth to record two outs, but Schneider pulled him from the game after he walked Seattle’s Jorge Polanco.Toronto reliever Mason Fluharty came on and walked a batter of his own, before surrendering a single that brought Polanco home.The two runs that Seattle scored on Thursday were marked as earned runs for Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner with two World Series rings, whose big-game experience ended up being a boon for Toronto. Toronto would go to a trio of relievers — hard-throwing Louis Varland, Jeff Hoffman and Seranthony Domínguez — to finish the game. They did not allow another Seattle run to score.”It’s just a great effort by our team. All the way around — our offence, our defence, our relievers, everybody contributed tonight — and that’s what makes it special,” Scherzer said.On the defensive side, Addison Barger, who typically plays third base for the Jays, was moved to right field to start the game. He made a number of strong plays, including a diving catch to end the seventh inning.Jays outfielder Addison Barger makes a diving catch to end the seventh inning. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Toronto pulls even with SeattleBy claiming victory on Thursday, the Blue Jays have pulled even with the Mariners, who beat them in the first two games of the ALCS in Toronto, winning 3-1 in Sunday’s Game 1, and 10-3 in Monday’s Game 2. But Toronto’s offensive fortunes changed dramatically in Wednesday’s Game 3, when five Blue Jays hit home runs, pummeling the Mariners to a final score of 13-4. Toronto’s Game 4 win means the ALCS is guaranteed to go at least six games.Game 5 will start at T-Mobile Park just after 6 p.m. ET on Friday — and it will be the last of the series to be held in Seattle.Toronto intends to send Game 1 starter Kevin Gausman 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.Game 6 is slated to take place at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on Sunday night just after 8 p.m. ET.The ALCS winner will advance to the World Series, to play the winner of the 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 sink Mariners 8-2 to win Game 4, tie ALCS
