Guerrero, Springer sparks Blue Jays, who hit 5 HRs and cut Mariners’ ALCS lead to 2-1 with 13-4 rout

SEATTLE AP Vladimir Guerrero Jr and George Springer woke up Toronto s offense as the Blue Jays hit five home runs to rebound from an early deficit routing the Seattle Mariners - Wednesday night and closing to - in the AL Championship Series Julio Rodr guez s two-run first-inning homer off Shane Bieber put Seattle ahead and stirred thoughts of a doable sweep in the best-of-seven matchup by a gang seeking its first World Series appearance Andr s Gim nez then sparked the comeback with a tying two-run homer in a five-run third against George Kirby Springer Guerrero Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger also went deep as the Blue Jays totaled feet of homers among hits Guerrero had four hits falling a triple short of the cycle after going for as the Blue Jays lost the first two games at home No one expected us to win the division no one expected it us to be here and I think the guys take that to heart Blue Jays manager John Schneider commented I reported it when we left Toronto I hope we find a few slug in the air out here Maybe we did In the - - format teams that lost the first two games at home and won Challenge on the road have captured the series three of times A crowd of at T-Mobile Park for Seattle s first home ALCS challenge since saw the teams combine to match the postseason record of eight combined home runs set by the Chicago Cubs and St Louis in Encounter of the NL Division Series and matched by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston in Match of the World Series Gim nez hadn t homered since Aug before his drive off a fastball from Kirby Really big swing to get us going Schneider stated Kirby allowed eight runs eight hits and two walks taking the loss All eight hits were during the first three pitches of the at-bat The first couple innings I thought he was dynamite Mariners manager Dan Wilson disclosed This is a band that s going to hurt you if you make mistakes on the plate It looked like there were a couple that they were able to get to Kirby s run-scoring wild pitch put Toronto ahead - and Daulton Varsho followed with a two-run double Springer homered in the fourth tying Bernie Williams was fourth on the career list with his nd postseason homer Guerrero hit his fourth of the postseason for a - lead on the first pitch of the fifth Kirk added a three-run homer in the sixth and is hitting for with eight RBIs in games at T-Mobile Park Bieber who got the win pitched shutout ball after the first and wound up allowing four hits in six innings the longest outing by a Blue Jays starter in seven postseason games Obviously didn t the start the way he would have wished to but that s pretty much who he is Springer revealed He can battle back from anything After the Blue Jays opened a - lead Randy Arozarena connected in the eighth against Yariel Rodr guez for his first home run since Sept and Cal Raleigh who led the major leagues with home runs during the regular season followed three pitches later with his third of the postseason Up next Seattle RHP Luis Castillo who pitched innings of relief against Detroit in Challenge of the Division Series starts Thursday against RHP Max Scherzer The -year-old a three-time Cy Young Award winner is - over eight postseason starts since the World Series opener and hasn t started a event since Sept AP MLB https apnews com hub mlb Source