Mariners club Blue Jays, sprint out to 2-0 ALCS lead

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TORONTO — Jorge Polanco continues to deliver when it counts for the Mariners, and as a result, Seattle heads home with a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.

The second baseman’s three-run homer in the fifth inning on Monday snapped a tie in Game 2 and propelled the Mariners to a 10-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Polanco also had the go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning of Game 1 during Seattle’s 3-1 victory and the game-ending hit on Friday in the 15th inning against the Detroit Tigers in the decisive Game 5 of the AL Division Series.

According to OptaSTATS, he is the first player in major league history to have a go-ahead hit in the fifth inning or later in three consecutive postseason games.

“He’s coming up huge in big moments,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said of the switch hitter. “Just his at-bats have been so good, again, whether it’s right-handed or left-handed. Tonight it was left-handed.”

Polanco had help on Monday. Julio Rodriguez also hit a three-run shot three batters into the game and Josh Naylor added a two-run blast among his three hits for the Mariners, who will host the next three games of the best-of-seven series starting Wednesday.

Losing the first two at home puts the Blue Jays in a precarious position.

“Always going to have optimism about this team,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “We’ve got to figure out ways to generate some more offense. Give the guys a ton of credit for coming back down three, you tie it. (The Mariners) just made more swings than us the last two games is kind of what it comes down to.”

Seattle scored three in the first against Trey Yesavage (1-1). Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch, Cal Raleigh walked and Rodriguez slugged a 1-2 splitter to left for his second homer of the postseason.

Toronto answered with two in the bottom of the inning against Logan Gilbert. George Springer doubled to left and scored when first baseman Naylor threw wildly to Gilbert, who was covering first on Nathan Lukes’ grounder. Alejandro Kirk lined an RBI two-out single to center.

Ernie Clement scooped a single to center to open the home second and advanced to third on two groundouts. Springer walked before Lukes lined an RBI single to right to tie the game at 3.

Toronto center fielder Daulton Varsho kept the score tied in the third with his diving backhand catch of Eugenio Suarez’s two-out liner with two out and runners at the corners.

Eduard Bazardo (1-0) replaced Gilbert, who allowed three runs (two earned), five hits and one walk with two strikeouts in three innings.

Yesavage was replaced by Louis Varland with no outs in the fifth after Arozarena reached second on an infield hit and throwing error and Raleigh was intentionally walked. Polanco drilled a 1-1 fastball to center for his third homer of the postseason.

“A huge turnaround for us after giving up the lead,” Wilson said. “He’s a tough out right now. It’s been phenomenal.”

Yesavage was charged with five runs on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in four-plus innings.

Seattle pinch hitter Mitch Garver led off the sixth with a triple off the center field wall against Mason Fluharty. Pinch runner Leo Rivas scored on J.P. Crawford’s one-out bloop single to left.

“We know we’re a good team, and now everyone knows that we can do this thing,” Crawford said. “And I think that’s what’s lighting the fire underneath everyone.”

In the seventh, Polanco singled with one out and Naylor, a native of nearby Mississauga, Ontario, hit his first homer of the playoffs against Braydon Fisher. He is the first Canadian-born player to homer in the postseason as a visiting player in Canada.

“It’s got to feel great in front of the home folks,” Wilson said. “You know it feels good going around the bases. A lot of history here for him, and his family is here, so it’s got to feel great.”

“But again, he’s all about the team. He’s all about winning. He’s all about doing what it takes.”

As the seventh continued, Yariel Rodriguez took over on the mound for Toronto, walked the bases loaded and was replaced by Chris Bassitt. Crawford lined a sacrifice fly to center.

Schneider maintains his faith in his bullpen is unshaken.

“I’m going to continue to trust them, for one, and I’m going to continue to trust everyone that either starts the game or comes in,” he said. “Sometimes bullpens can be volatile. There’s certain situations where you’re chasing matchups, you’re chasing velo, you’re chasing stuff for certain guys. The first two games it hasn’t worked out.”

Toronto’s Anthony Santander (back tightness) was a late scratch.

–Larry Millson, Field Level Media