For the second time this postseason Trey Yesavage earned a standing ovation from the Rogers Center faithful as he walked off the mound.
On Sunday, in Game 6 of the ALCS, it came after 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts as he limited the Seattle Mariners to just two runs and six hits on 87 pitches.
Making just his sixth MLB start (regular and postseason), Yesavage dominated the Mariners early, striking out five of the first eight batters he faced.
With this outing, the 22-year-old rookie set the Blue Jays record for most strikeouts in his first three playoff starts with the team. According to Sportsnet Stats.
However, he had some trouble in the third and fourth innings, but relied on his defense to limit the damage. In both frames, he loaded the bases one at a time before hitting a double play to escape both jams unscathed.
Seattle finally got there in the sixth when Josh Naylor hit a single with two outs and Randy Arozarena singled, bringing John Schneider off the bench to face the bullpen.
Arozarena came in to score on Eugenio Suarez's go-ahead single against right-hander Louis Varland.
Through three postseason appearances, Yesavage now has a 3.60 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 15 innings for the Blue Jays. Yesavage took the ball in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series after struggling in Game 2. He took the loss in that game when the Mariners collected five runs against the right-hander in four-plus innings of work.
His first appearance in these playoffs came in Game 2 of the ALDS, when he held the New York Yankees hitless for 5.1 innings while striking out 11, a Toronto postseason record.
It's safe to say he returned to top form on Sunday as the Blue Jays' backs were against the wall.
