Blue Jays’ Andres Gimenez provides momentum shift with Game 3 homer

SEATTLE — To understand the significance of Andres Jimenez's big turnaround Wednesday night, it's important to consider the enormity of the moment.

The sold-out T-Mobile Park crowd was rocked by Julio Rodriguez's two-run homer in the first inning, while early on it looked like Seattle Mariners starter George Kirby was going to continue his dominant October on the mound.

During Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, it truly felt like the walls were slowly closing in. Toronto Blue Jays I just couldn't lose.

However, everything suddenly changed when Ernie Clement dipped Kirby's inside sinker into left field to open the third inning. This brought Jimenez to justice.

The Blue Jays shortstop entered the game batting .190 in the postseason and had hit just seven home runs all year, his last appearance being on August 27th. He was probably the least likely player on the roster to go deep in this situation.

And yet, after Kirby knocked down a 96.6 mph sinker, Jimenez hit a powerful hit to the inside four-seamer, sending it into the right field post at about 399 feet.

“I swung hard, but basically I was trying to hit the ball a little ahead just to get into that part of the field so Ernie could go to third,” Jimenez said with a smile that soon turned into a chuckle. “But, you know, I’m happy with what happened.”

The importance of Jimenez's two-run homer cannot be overstated. The Blue Jays' offense looked anemic through the first two games of the series, and that continued through the first two innings on Wednesday. However, Jimenez's outburst provided a cathartic, balloon-popping sensation that turned the tide in a convincing 13-4 victory that cut the Mariners' ALCS lead to 2-1.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider was asked if homer felt like a series-changing moment.

“It’s a big deal,” Schneider responded. “I think yes”.

With Jimenez, the No. 9 hitter, in this situation, one could see him bunting and forcing the top half of the team into one run. However, Schneider decided to let Jimenez swing and was confident that the left-handed hitter's goal was to deliver the ball to the right side of the field.

“In this situation, down two, I believe Jimmy will at least handle the bat and at least beat Ernie, but I liked the intent with which he swung,” the manager said.

Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber surrendered a runaway homer to Rodriguez in the first frame, but when he returned to the bench, he told his teammates, “Pick me up.”

“Momentum,” Bieber said, describing the impact of Homer Jimenez. “I feel like this game is so dynamic that Andres came out and just picked me up the way he did and even the score, it was very important for us. It was great for him to come out on the field and do it not only for himself but for everyone on the bench.”

The Blue Jays scored three more off Kirby in a five-run third inning, and the runs continued to come in waves.

Kirby was chased in the fifth, and by the time the game was mercilessly over, Toronto had amassed 18 hits, setting the franchise record for most hits in postseason competition. Eight different players hit at least one run, while in addition to Jimenez, who went 3-for-5, George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger each hit home runs, giving the Blue Jays an MLB-best 15 during these playoffs.

“I think something has definitely changed in our offense,” said Jimenez, who had never scored before the third inning in 92 career postseason appearances. “But tonight we came in with the mindset of attacking and trying to do the best job we can, and we did that.”

The Blue Jays knew that Kirby's drive to take the lead with his two-seamer was as sure as clockwork. Seattle's pitchers had collectively had success with this approach in the first two games of the series, and by the third inning of Game 3, the Blue Jays had finally adjusted.

“I just think we executed a really good game plan and went into it knowing that he was going to attack you, and that’s the difference between trying to just put the ball in play and trying to do some damage,” Schneider said. “You have to make adjustments as you see fit, but I think we stayed pretty ruthless with Kirby and then we had some big late delays.”

As Schneider and several players sat in front of a microphone in the stands after the win, they talked about momentum. Max Scherzer will take the ball for the Blue Jays in a key Game 4 on Thursday, and it remains to be seen whether the case against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo will advance.

“The momentum may be real,” Schneider said. “We're going to approach tomorrow as if the series is 0-0.”

Guerrero Jr. also mentioned the word, noting that it all started with Jimenez.

“The situation has definitely changed,” Guerrero Jr. said through interpreter Hector Lebron. “I mean, coming from Andres, that's what happens when you trust your teammates. You have to trust everyone in that lineup, and when you tied the game like that, I mean, everything changed in that dugout.”