RECAP: Toronto Blue Jays thump Seattle Mariners to extend ALCS to Game 7

With their backs against the wall, the Toronto Blue Jays have pushed a Game 7 with a 6-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.

The Jays offence came alive in front of a sold-out Rogers Centre crowd Sunday night, punctuated by a two-run homer from Addison Barger and a solo shot from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Toronto’s defence held the Mariners at bay, keeping Seattle’s bats to just two runs and successfully turning three double plays in consecutive innings.

The Jays will host the Mariners for Game 7 of the American League Championship Series Monday night. This is the second time in franchise history that Toronto has played in a Game 7—the last time being 1985.

Here’s a recap of Sunday night’s game:

FINAL SCORE - JAYS WIN 6-2

10:28 p.m. - 44,764 fans at Rogers Centre tonight

The 44,764 fans at Rogers Centre are now starting to feel confident, turning murmurs and whispers of a Game 7 into loud declarations – with the team up 6-2 in the eighth inning.

-Kamil Karamali, CTV National News Correspondent

10:20 p.m. - Guerrero Jr. scores on wild pitch, Mariners’ error

A wild pitch and throwing error by the Mariners allows Guerrero Jr. to bring in another run.

The Jays lead 6-2.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

10:13 p.m. - Fan check-in: We’re ‘feeling fantastic’

9:59 p.m. - Suárez singles, Arozarena scores

Eugenio Suárez singles to drive in Randy Arozarena. The Mariners narrow the gap with two runs in the sixth inning.

Toronto leads 5-2.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

9:56 p.m. - Yesavage leaves the game

Yesavage gets a standing ovation as he leaves the game in the sixth inning.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

9:52 p.m. - Josh Naylor hits solo home run

Mississauga’s Josh Naylor ends the shutout with a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning.

The Mariners are now on the board, but the Jays still lead 5-1.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

9:39 p.m. - Guerrero Jr. homers

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits a solo home run. The Jays lead 5-0.

This is Vladdy’s sixth time going deep this October. The slugger broke the franchise record for most homers in a single post-season earlier this series.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

9:34 p.m. - Jays notch third double play

For the third time in consecutive innings, the Jays have turned a double play to keep the Mariners offence at bay.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

9:22 p.m. - Jays fans take Gausman’s message to heart

It looks like pitcher Kevin Gausman’s message is working.

The seats are barely being used at Rogers Centre for Game 6 with hundreds, if not thousands, of fans choosing to stand for the entirety of the game so far.

Gausman tweeted earlier that he would “throw gum” at anyone sitting at tonight’s game.

-Kamil Karamali, CTV National News Correspondent

9:20 p.m. - Jays get out of second bases-loaded situation

The Jays turn another double play to get out of their second bases-loaded situation in back-to-back innings.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

9:06 p.m. - Barger homers, Jays lead 4-0

Addison Barger hits a two-run home run. The Jays lead the Mariners 4-0.

Prior to going yard Sunday night, Barger had just one RBI in eight career post-season appearances.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

9:00 p.m. - Jays turn double play

With the bases loaded and Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh at the plate, the Jays turn a double play to retire Seattle in the middle of the third inning.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

8:41 p.m. - Rogers Centre roaring

The amplitude at Rogers Centre sounds like its higher than Game 1 and 2, Varsho scoring the Jays first run in the second inning had Rogers Centre hitting 112 db, equivalent to a power mower at close range.

-Kamil Karamali, CTV National News Correspondent

8:38 p.m. - Kiner-Falefa singles, Clement scores

Isiah Kiner-Falefa hits a single, Ernie Clement will come in to score. Toronto leads Seattle 2-0.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

8:35 p.m. - Barger singles, Varsho comes in to score

Toronto leads Seattle 1-0 off an Addison Barger single. Daulton Varsho comes in to score.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

8:31 p.m. - Varsho hits a double, Clement reaches first off an error

Daulton Varsho hits a leadoff double to start the second inning for the Blue Jays. Ernie Clement reaches first base off an Eugenio Suárez error.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

8:28 p.m. - Yesavage strikes out Suárez

Yesavage strikes out Eugenio Suárez to record his fourth K of the game.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

8:20 p.m. - Standing room only at Rogers Centre

8:15 p.m. - Lukes singles to right field

Nathan Lukes singles to right field to register the Jays’ first hit of the night.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is at the plate.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

8:10 p.m. - George Springer makes first plate appearance since taking pitch to the knee

Outfielder George Springer is at bat for the first time since he took a pitch to the kneecap in Game 5.

It was unclear if Springer would play in tonight’s game prior to the release of the starting lineup.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

8:04 p.m. - Game 6 underway

Yesavage throws the first pitch at 8:04 p.m. and Game 6 is officially underway.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

7:50 p.m. - Bautista throws ceremonial first pitch

Jays great Jose Bautista was in the building for Game 6 and threw out the ceremonial first pitch to mark his 45th birthday.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

7:45 p.m. - Last time Jays played in a Game 7 was 1985

If the Jays win tonight, they’ll play in a Game 7 for only the second-time ever.

The last time they played a Game 7 was in 1985 against the Kansas City Royals. Toronto lost the ALCS that year 4-3.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

7:30 p.m. - Special food and drinks on offer for a special night

Rogers Centre is offering a new all-star lineup of new food, beverage, and merchandise for Game 6 of the ALCS.

The special items will be available for purchase on Sunday and Monday, if the series continues to Game 7.

Some of highlights are a crispy bacon skewer, Toronto-style smoked meat poutine, and maple beignets as well as two specialty cocktails, named October Rally and the Want It All.

Click here to see the full menu.

- Joanna Lavoie, CP24.com Journalist

7:27 p.m. - Jays fans arrive at Rogers Centre

Jays fans are braving the rain and headed into Rogers Centre ahead of Game 6.

Here’s how they’re feeling ahead of tonight’s do-or-die situation:

- Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca Digital Journalist

7:23 p.m. - Seattle ‘ready to fight’ as team takes on the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6: manager

Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson says his team is feeling good and ready to work hard in Game 6.

“I think, you know, that the feeling in the clubhouse is good. I think, you know, we’ve said all along that there’s a lot of work to be done, and there’s more work to be done, and that’s the message, and these guys are well aware of that,” he said, adding that each game “presents its own challenges.”

“I think they’re in a great frame of mind. They’re focused, you know, and they’re ready to go, and that’s what you want, you know. I think it’s easy this time of year to get distracted by a lot of the outside noise, but these guys have done a really good job, on the whole, of staying focused on the task at hand, and that’s where they’re continuing to keep their focus.”

Wilson said the Mariners’ focus isn’t changing from what it has been all along: “play hard from one to nine and one through nine.”

And that’s what it’s all about, and that’s really what these guys have done, you know, all season long. And we talk about the fight that they have, the resiliency that they have sometimes, that resiliency has to happen within the game, and not just from game to game,” he said.

“So, you know, we’ll just see how tonight plays out. But, but I know these guys will be focused. I know these guys will be prepared and they’ll be ready to fight.”

5:22 p.m. - Jays playing first Game 6 at Rogers Centre since 1993 World Series win

Tonight is extra special for the Toronto Blue Jays, who haven’t played a Game 6 at the Rogers Centre (then SkyDome) since they won the World Series in 1993 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

- Joanna Lavoie, CP24.com Journalist

5:16 - Schneider says Jays understand magnitude of Game 6, but urges players to ‘be you and enjoy the moment’

Heading into Game 6, Jays manager John Schneider says the team understands what’s at stake, adding that in the end every player ultimately needs to “go play your game.”

“I think the minute you start getting out of what has gotten you here, you get in trouble. So that’s the mindset I want them to have,” he said.

“I think that’s what we’ve done all year. And you gotta lean into it, man. You know, it’s an important game for sure. These guys are really good at getting prepared every day, so there’s no other way to go about it, but they understand the magnitude of it.”

Asked about a “motivational speech” for his squad tonight, Toronto’s skipper says he doesn’t have one.

“The message is the exact same every day: be you and enjoy the moment. You know what I mean? It’s we’re one of three teams left, you know? So when we play really well, every single guy in that clubhouse is being who they are, nothing more, nothing less,” he said.

“And that’s going to continue to be the message as long as we play this year, that’s it. You have to enjoy the moment, you know. And it’s this is what we all sacrifice for. This is what we all work for. I said it yesterday, we’ve won one game in a row 99 times this year so we got a pretty good chance to do it again.”

- Joanna Lavoie, CP24.com Journalist

4:51 p.m. - Jays need to keep ‘heads locked in’ in Game 6: Varsho

Jays centrefielder Daulton Varsho said the team is focused and ready heading into Game 6, which could spell elimination for Toronto.

“(We’re) just (going to) play our game. Do our thing,” he said.

“We had a lot of opportunities. I was one of them that didn’t really get the job done. And just, it’s baseball.”

Varsho added that with this series the momentum can swing from inning to inning, with any team being able to “come back really fast.”

“So obviously, just keeping our heads locked in, knowing that we need to do what we need to do, and just ride it out,” he said, adding he’s listening to the advice of his professional baseball playing father, retired outfielder Gary Varsho, that “anything can happen.”

- Joanna Lavoie, CP24.com Journalist

4:26 p.m. - Gausman hypes up fans ahead of Game 6

Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman wants fans of the team to “bring the energy tonight!”

“If I see someone sitting I will throw gum at you! #TryAndFindOut,” he wrote in a post on X.

- Joanna Lavoie, CP24.com Journalist

4:03 p.m. - Springer added to Game 6 lineup

Designated hitter George Springer has been added to the Toronto Blue Jays lineup for Game 6.

Springer took a pitch to the knee in Game 5 and left the game. It was initially unclear if he’d be in tonight’s starting lineup but a CT scan determined that his injury was just a contusion.

- Joanna Lavoie, CP24.com Journalist

3:49 p.m. - Excited, optimistic fans begin arriving at Rogers Centre

Fans outside the Rogers Centre on Sunday afternoon are excited and hopeful that the Jays will be victorious tonight in Game 6 and lead the team to a series-defining seventh game on Monday.

“I’m really hoping that this is not going to be their last game of the season, and we got to Game 7 tomorrow … and we eventually get to the World Series,” said one superfan named Sarah, who was with her husband, and her sister and her partner.

“I don’t want to jinx anything, but I’m hoping for the best.”

Another fan who spoke with CP24 said he’s feeling “excited, but anxious” about tonight’s game as he and two young fans headed into the ball park.

- Joanna Lavoie, CP24.com Journalist

2:53 p.m. - Free viewing party tonight at David Pecaut Square

Couldn’t get tickets to today’s Jays-Mariners game?

You can still cheer on Canada’s team by attending a free viewing party starting at 8 p.m. this evening at David Pecaut Square, 215 King St. W.

Wear a jersey, make a sign, paint your face, or show your support any way your choose!

There will be a live DJ as well as trivia where you can win some prizes.

Seating is limited but fans are welcome to bring their own chairs and blankets.

This event is presented by the City of Toronto with the support of TCEU Local 416, Toronto Professional Firefighters Association, and Toronto Police Association and all are welcome.

- Joanna Lavoie, CP24.com Journalist

11:55 a.m. - Jays release pre-game checklist for fans

8:30 a.m. - ‘Feels like it’s going 7’ says TSN’s Matthew Cauz

While tonight’s game may be high stakes for both team, TSN’s Matthew Cauz says he’s not counting out the Blue Jays just yet.

When asked by CP24’s Phil Perkins about predictions Cauz says “This series feels like it’s going seven,” he said. “It feels like it’s inevitable that we’re going to have a game seven.”

Cauz is host of TSN radio 1050 and co-Host of the ‘Macko & Cauz’ Podcast.