Dodgers News: Toronto Wallops M’s to Crawl Back into ALCS

SEATTLE — Don’t finalize those World Series plans just yet, Dodger fans. If the Toronto Blue Jays have anything to say about it, the ALCS is far from over, and LA’s potential opponent is still up in the air. In a stark reminder of how quick fortunes can change in October, the Toronto Blue Jays got up off the mat in Seattle on Wednesday night, and took out a big can of whoop on the Mariners, winning Game 3 by a score of 13 to 4.

At first, it looked like it was going to be Seattle’s night. Julio Rodriguez got the Mariners on the board early with a two-run blast off Shane Bieber in the top of the first. But after that, it was all Toronto. The Blue Jays released a steady barrage of extra base hits that put the game on ice and quieted the pennant-starved Seattle crowd. Andres Gimenez homered to tie the score in the third, and starter George Kirby uncorked a wild pitch with a runner on third to give Toronto the lead. Daulton Varsho put a cherry on top of the five-run inning when he ripped a two-run double off the wall in right.

In the fifth and sixth, the Jays added two runs on a couple of solo shots from their big dogs, George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Then, the coup de gras came in the sixth: a three-run home run off the bat of catcher Alejandro Kirk. That made it 12-2 and the rout was officially on. Springer, Guerrero and Kirk were a three-headed monster for the Jays in this one, going 9-for-15 with 5 RBI. In all, the Toronto hitters collected 18 hits on the night, and looked every bit the team that pulverized the Yankees in the ALDS a few days ago.

The Mariners showed a pulse late in the game when Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh went back-to-back with the long ball, but it was the textbook definition of “too little, too late.”

And with that, the Jays are back in the series. One more win in Seattle, and they force the ALCS back to Canada, where Rogers Center will no doubt be rocking. In a way, it’s good that this happened. The longer the series goes, the more the winner will have to expend pitching resourses, the more the teams will be drained from the grind of cross-country travel, and the easier they would be to knock off in the Fall Classic. Game 4 will feature our old pal Max Scherzer taking to the bump for the Jays. He isn’t nearly the pitcher that he was back in ’21 when he helped the Dodgers advance to the NLCS, but he still has that competitive drive like no one else. The Mariners will counter with Luis Castillo, the sometimes brilliant, sometimes inconsistent righthander who has a postseason ERA of 1.40. Should be… interesting.

Remember, if Seattle wins the series, that would give the Dodgers home field advantage in the World Series. If Toronto prevails, the Dodgers had better make sure their passports are in order, because the World Series will start in Canada next Friday night. Either way, let this game be a warning to all those who think that the road is easy in October. There are going to be nights that you just get shelled. The trick is to shake it off, preserve your resources, and live to fight another day.

We’ll see how the Mariners respond. As for the Dodgers, let’s not let the Brewers have ANY hope of a comeback. Bury them here in LA. I don’t care how tasty the brats are in Milwaukee. Let’s stay here in Los Angeles for a while.

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