CanadaA resurgent Toronto Blue Jays offence hammered the Seattle Mariners pitching en route to a 13-4 victory at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday night, giving Toronto its first win of the American League Championship Series (ALCS). Seattle still leads the series 2-1. Toronto’s offence comes alive as team claims 1st win of American League Championship SeriesGeoff Nixon · CBC News · Posted: Oct 15, 2025 7:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoThe Toronto Blue Jays celebrate after winning Game 3 of the American League Championship Series 13-4 against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday in Seattle. The Mariners still lead the series 2-1. (Lindsey Wasson/The Associated Press)A resurgent Blue Jays offence hammered the Seattle Mariners pitching en route to a 13-4 Game 3 victory at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday night, giving Toronto its first win of the American League Championship Series (ALCS).But the Jays also got a major boost by a strong outing from veteran starter Shane Bieber, who went six innings for Toronto and struck out eight Mariners batters along the way. The Blue Jays traded for Bieber in July, with an eye to having him take the mound in big post-season games to give Toronto exactly what it needs — a chance to win.In the first inning of Game 3, Bieber surrendered a two-run shot to Julio Rodríguez, which put Seattle ahead 2-0. But those would be the only runs Bieber would allow in the next five innings he pitched.He credited his team for picking him up after Seattle took that early lead.”I was able to go back out there in that second inning and kind of re-establish what I wanted to do,” Bieber said after the game.”I felt like, even though we were down, we were able to grab some momentum. And, this game is so much momentum-based … we didn’t really look back after that, so it was awesome.”Toronto Blue Jays Starter Shane Bieber delivers a pitch against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning Wednesday night. He pitched a solid six innings, giving up just two runs. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)Big 3rd inningBut the Jays’ pitching was just one half of the story of Game 3. The other was its hitting — sorely needed after the Mariners outscored the Jays 13-4 in the first two games of the series. Toronto’s offence exploded for five runs in the third inning, starting with a two-run homer by shortstop Andrés Giménez — who hit just seven home runs during the regular season. He was the first Blue Jay to don the celebratory post-season home run jacket in Game 3, but he wouldn’t be the last. Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez hit a two-run home run in the third that got Toronto’s offence going in Game 3 of the ALCS on Wednesday night. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Blue Jays manager John Schneider called Giménez’s blast “a big swing” for Toronto.”You never know how the game’s going to go, you never know who it’s going to be, right?” Schneider said after the game.The other runs for the Jays in the third came from Nathan Lukes, who crossed the plate after a wild pitch from Seattle starter George Kirby and Daulton Varsho, who hit a double to drive in two more.The Jays added to their lead in the fourth, when Toronto slugger George Springer hit a solo home run — his second of the ALCS — bumping the score to 6-2.Toronto slugger George Springer added a solo home run in the fourth inning to push the score to 6-2. (Abbie Parr/The Associated Press)The Jays added two more runs in the fifth — one came via a solo home run by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., followed by an RBI single from third baseman Ernie Clement — to extend their lead to 8-2.The Mariners pulled Kirby from the game in the fifth after he managed to record 12 outs. But Seattle’s relievers also proved no match for the Jays’ bats as Toronto scored four additional runs in the sixth. Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk connects for a three-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the sixth inning in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Seattle. (Lindsey Wasson/The Associated Press)This later burst of offence included a three-run home run from catcher Alejandro Kirk.Finally, Toronto’s Addison Barger hit yet another solo home run for the Blue Jays in the ninth —the cherry on top of the 13-4 victory. Mariners manager Dan Wilson said what Seattle saw on display Wednesday was reflective of what Toronto has done throughout the season.”This is a team that has swung the bat well all year and they didn’t miss much tonight,” Wilson said of Toronto’s offensive barrage in Game 3.2 late Mariners homersIn the eighth inning, Toronto reliever Yariel Rodríguez gave up back-to-back solo shots to Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh — the leading home-run hitter in the majors during the regular season. Those two blasts gave the Mariners four runs in the game. While the Jays escaped any serious jeopardy in the eighth, the late home runs seemed to echo a concern that Schneider, Toronto’s manager, had raised with members of the media before the game.He said the Jays needed to make sure they executed their pitches well to prevent getting burned by long balls from Seattle’s sluggers.”They’ve scored a lot of their runs this post-season via the home run, so we’ve gotta make pitches and be pretty stubborn in certain situations with where you’re throwing the ball,” said Schneider.Seattle still leads series 2-1 Toronto’s Wednesday night victory means the Mariners still lead the best-of-seven ALCS series 2-1 after winning the first two games. Toronto has to claw its way to four wins in order to oust Seattle from the playoffs. That may prove an uphill battle, but it’s necessary if the Blue Jays want to reach the World Series for the first time since 1993. Game 4 of the ALCS begins Thursday night in Seattle just after 8:30 p.m. ET.Should the Jays make it to the next round, they’ll face the winner of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) — either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Milwaukee Brewers. Both would be formidable opponents. The Brewers won 97 regular-season games, more than any other team in Major League Baseball this year. The Dodgers, who currently hold a 2-0 lead in the NLCS, have won two of the past five World Series championships (in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, and again in 2024).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 Canadian Press
Toronto Blue Jays notch 1st ALCS win, hammering Seattle Mariners 13-4 in Game 3
