Guerrero hits 6th postseason homer and Blue Jays beat Mariners 6-2 to force Game 7 of ALCS

TORONTO — Look, Dad, it's Game 7!

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his sixth home run of the postseason, rookie Trey Yesavage struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings and the Toronto Blue Jays pushed the American League Championship Series to the wire with a win over sloppy Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Sunday night.

The AL pennant will be decided Monday night in Toronto, the second Game 7 in Blue Jays history. Toronto lost to Kansas City in the 1985 ALCS.

“Gotta have fun with it, man. That's what we signed up for,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “It’s something special and unique, but you have to look at it as a game.”

It will also be the first time for one famous baseball family. Guerrero's father, Hall of Fame outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, never played in Game 7 of the postseason in his 16-year career.

“My dad told me, in Game 7, you're going to get everything you've got,” the Toronto slugger said.

Seattle, the only major league team without a pennant, will play Game 7 for the first time. The winner will face the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, which begins Friday.

“Win or go home,” Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez said. “We’re going to put it all out there.”

Addison Barger scored and scored three early runs for the Blue Jays, who hit three doubles behind Yesavage — two of them to avoid jams with the bases loaded.

This made Toronto the first team to hit consecutive bases-loaded, inning-ending double plays in a postseason game, and only the fourth team to hit two in the same postseason game.

“I knew my defense had my back,” Yesavage said.

Toronto also capitalized on Seattle's season-best three mistakes. By comparison, the Blue Jays committed four errors in 10 playoff games.

“Balls were just going in and out of the glove, which led to a few more guys getting on base,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Unfortunately, it led to a couple of runs.”

Guerrero's sixth career homer in the postseason — all year — tied him with Jose Bautista and Joe Carter for the most in Blue Jays history.

“It’s what you would expect from one of the elite players in the game,” Schneider said.

Bautista threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game.

Toronto had lost its previous four games, facing postseason elimination. The streak lasted until Game 5 of the 2016 ALCS against Cleveland and included losses to Tampa Bay in 2020, Seattle in 2022 and Minnesota in 2023.

Guerrero's first homer in the fifth made it 5-0 and chased Mariners starter Logan Gilbert. The right-hander allowed four earned runs and seven hits in four-plus innings.

“I thought he had a good fastball, especially early in the game,” Wilson said. “His split was good at times. They're a tough lineup and they did everything they had to do to put the ball in play.”

Yesavage scored in the sixth. He was charged with two runs and six hits, five of which were singles. Five of his outs came on his split-fingered fastball, as did both landing double plays with the bases loaded.

“I just believed in myself. I know my stuff plays at this level,” Yesavage said. “I know the defense behind me will play to the best of their ability, and getting three double plays in consecutive innings was a huge accomplishment.”

22-year-old Yesavage threw a season-high 31 splitters. He got 10 whiffs on splitters and another five on sliders.

“He brings energy,” Guerrero said. “He's young. He wants to win so bad.”

Three of Yesavage's six major league starts came in the playoffs. He won twice this postseason, winning one of his three regular-season games.

Louis Varland got four strikeouts and Jeff Hoffman struck out four in two hitless innings to end the game.

The Mariners used two walks and one to load the bases against Yesavage in the third, but were denied when batter Cal Raleigh grounded on a 3-6-1 double play started by Guerrero and completed by Yesavage covering first base. Raleigh's first pitch landed at 101 mph.

“I think it’s underrated how Vlad can play really deep with his arm,” Schneider said. “In this situation, you also need some wiggle room for a guy who hits the ball really hard.”

Raleigh finished the game 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

Seattle was left empty again after another bases-loaded inning in the fourth when J.P. Crawford grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

The Mariners broke through and chased Yesavage in the sixth. Josh Naylor's solo shot was his third home run of the playoffs. Yesavage walked on Randy Arozarena's base hit, and Eugenio Suarez greeted Warland with a booming RBI single.

Toronto took advantage of errors by Rodriguez in center field and Suarez at third base to score twice in second when Barger and Isaiah Kiner-Falefa had RBI singles.

Ernie Clement hit a triple off the left field wall in the third and scored when Barger scored, his second of the postseason.

George Springer started as the Blue Jays' designated hitter and went 0-for-4 with a walk. Springer retired in the seventh inning of Friday's loss in Seattle after he was hit to the right kneecap at 95.6 mph by Brian Wu.

Guerrero was hit by a pitch from Seattle pitcher Matt Brush in the seventh. Guerrero moved to second on Alejandro Kirk's single and was rapidly advancing when he scored on Raleigh's throwing error.

Next

Toronto is expected to start RHP Shane Bieber on Monday night. Bieber allowed two runs and four hits over six innings in Game 3, a 13-4 Blue Jays win. He struck out eight and walked one, recovering from a poor performance against the Yankees in the Division Series.

RHP George Kirby will head to Seattle. He allowed eight runs and eight hits, including three homers, over four innings in Game Three.