Mariners Beat Down Blue Jays to Take 2-0 Series Lead as ALCS Heads to Seattle

Check out the pivotal points of Game 2 of the ALCs as the Toronto Blue Jays will have to stage a rally to win the series.

Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) and catcher Alejandro Kirk (30) walks to the dugout prior to the game against the New York Yankees during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It was clear from the get go that Game 2 of the American League Championship Series was going to look quite different than what was seen Sunday night.

There were more runs scored by the end of the first inning than in the entire opener. The Toronto Blue Jays they came back with a chip on their shoulder after scoring just one run in the first game.

However, the Jays were stunned quickly. They have been the team that others couldn't keep up with, but that was not the case on Monday. Despite a strong start, the Jays lagged at the plate. Toronto lost Game 2, 10-3, and will head to Seattle down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.

Key Moments in Game 2

Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Trey Yesavage has been nearly perfect since making his debut to the Majors just last month and anticipation was high for him to make his second postseason start after setting a franchise record of 11 strikeouts in his first career playoff game. However, he learned really quickly how unforgiving baseball can be.

The first inning Yesavage started off by hitting Randy Arozarena by a pitch and then walked Cal Raleigh. So, when Julio Rodríguez hit a 370 foot bomb on him it turned a solo homer into a three-run home run. But, the 22-year-old bounced back as he struck out the next three batters including Jorge Polanco who wrecked havoc on the Jays just yesterday.

So, it was 3-0 already going into the Blue Jays first at-bat. George Springer started things off with a double led by Nathan Lukes who should have been an easy out at first, but instead was an extra-base hit on an error.

Three batters later Alejandro Kirk had a single of his own to bring Lukes home and the score was 3-2 going into the second. Toronto had already scored more runs then they did in the game one loss. The following inning Lukes came through again with a single to bring Ernie Clement in and tie things up. He was clearly missed yesterday.

The offense slowed down considerably for both squads until the fifth inning (at least for the Mariners) where Polanco (of course) had a three-run homer of his own which drastically quieted a roaring Blue Jays' fanbase. Yesavage proved to be human in game 2 which came at the expense of the Jays.

Jorge Polanco is DIFFERENT. pic.twitter.com/Rq4nWUiMoR

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) October 13, 2025

The Mariners seemed to put the final nail in the Jays coffin at the top of the seventh with another homer this time by Josh Naylor which also brought Polanco across home plate with him to take a six-run lead over Toronto.

If that wasn't bad enough, a pair of walks loaded the bases with only one out (still in the seventh) and it was Chris Bassitt who had to step in. Bassitt hadn't pitched in a month and was forced into the worst situation one could get into coming out of the bullpen. A sacrifice fly by J.P. Crawford brought the Mariners into the double digits entering into the final nine outs for the Jays.

The Blue Jays are looking down the barrel of a gun held by the Mariners, not a place anybody expected them to be. They started their playoffs looking like a team that couldn't be beaten, but that is no longer. Now they are in a two-game hole headed to Seattle.