TORONTO — The Mariners were supposed to be the team dragging through this American League Championship Series, forced to grind out an extra-inning epic just for the privilege of flying across the country and taking on a well-rested Blue Jays powerhouse.
Instead, they’ve seized control, shrugging off every perceived disadvantage to carry a commanding lead back home.
“In these playoff moments, you can’t be fatigued,” Naylor said. “Every game matters. Every pitch matters. Every opportunity matters. You don’t want to have an excuse in these situations; these games are too important.”
In postseason history, teams taking a 2-0 lead in any best-of-seven series have gone on to take that series 78 of 93 times (83.9%). In series with the current 2-3-2 format, teams winning both Games 1 and 2 on the road have prevailed in the series 24 of 27 times (88.9%).
The last team to rally from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series was the D-backs against the Phillies in the 2023 NLCS, but the last team to do it after losing the first two games at home was the Yankees against the Braves in the 1996 World Series.
“I’m always going to have optimism about this team,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “We’ve got to figure out a way to limit damage, one, and then, two, generate more offense.”
Seattle’s resilience has been fueled in large part by Polanco, the switch-hitting infielder who continues to author a legendary October tale.
Cal Raleigh called Polanco “our heart and soul” over the last month, and the 32-year-old has certainly lived up to it — two homers off Tarik Skubal in ALDS Game 2, a walk-off hit to end the 15-inning clincher in ALDS Game 5, the go-ahead RBI in Game 1 of this series and now a go-ahead blast off Louis Varland in the fifth inning of Game 2.
“I think everybody likes to be in those situations. That’s what we play for, to be in those spots,” Polanco said. “That’s what we dream about.”
Mariners manager Dan Wilson called it “just doing what Polo does,” and this was the net effect: silencing raucous Rogers Centre crowds on consecutive nights as the ALCS now shifts to Seattle’s T-Mobile Park for Wednesday’s Game 3.
“We can’t get complacent,” said Seattle’s J.P. Crawford. “We’ve got to keep the edge, keep the fire underneath us, and take it one day at a time.”
“I would say nothing was spectacular today,” Yesavage said.
The Blue Jays punched back quickly with two runs against Logan Gilbert, who — starting on short rest after pitching in relief in Game 5 of the ALDS — didn’t miss many bats. George Springer doubled to the wall in left-center and scored on Nathan Lukes’ infield single, aided by Naylor’s throwing error at first base. Alejandro Kirk followed with a run-scoring single that got the fans roaring again.
Lukes — who exited Game 1 after fouling a ball off his right knee — tied the game with an RBI single in the second. Daulton Varsho preserved the tie with a diving catch that robbed Eugenio Suárez of a third-inning hit.
Gilbert exited after three frames as Seattle turned to its bullpen.
Still, the Mariners were poised to strike. Yesavage permitted an infield hit that opened the fifth, with Randy Arozarena advancing on a throwing error, and Raleigh was intentionally walked as the Blue Jays turned to the bullpen.
In trotted Varland, who froze Rodríguez looking at a four-seam fastball for the first out. Varland couldn’t repeat the same trick with Polanco, who sent a 98.1 mph heater over the wall in center field, just out of reach of Varsho, who leapt against the padded wall in vain.
“Louis has got great stuff; he’s got electric stuff,” Schneider said. “You still have to execute, no matter how hard you’re throwing.”
Six of Polanco’s eight hits this postseason have driven in runs, and as he raised the golden trident in celebration, this was one of the biggest yet.
“There’s a reason we call him George Bonds,” Crawford said.
Mitch Garver ripped a pinch-hit triple to open the sixth, then Crawford’s RBI single brought in pinch-runner Leo Rivas. Naylor, a Mississauga native, tagged a two-run homer in the seventh that helped Seattle pull away.
Naylor became the first Canadian-born Major Leaguer to hit a postseason homer as a visitor in Canada; he’s the fourth Canadian-born player to homer in Canada during the playoffs, joining Blue Jays players Russell Martin, Michael Saunders and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
“It’s super cool to do it in front of my family, too,” Naylor said.
In the Seattle clubhouse, Raleigh sported a T-shirt that read: “Job’s Not Finished,” a phrase that could apply to both clubs — and the series as a whole. The Mariners have the upper hand; Toronto knows it’s not too late to even the score, but to do it, now they’ll be the ones needing to respond to adversity.
“We’re all confident here. We don’t like the position we’re in right now,” said Vladimir Guerrero Jr., through interpreter Hector Lebron. “They’ve been playing great baseball, too. But the only thing we can do is get better, go to Seattle and win some games.”
