4 Takeaways From the Blue Jays' ALCS Sport 4 Win Over the Mariners

[ad_1] Don’t look now, however the Blue Jays are again within the driver’s seat.

All it took was giving the ball to a three-time Cy Younger award winner, and letting the offense do the remainder of the work. Max Scherzer, pitching for the primary time in three weeks, made a legendary begin in Sport 4 of the American League Championship Sequence. That gutsy efficiency from the long run Corridor of Famer had a ripple impact. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. slugged his fifth residence run of the postseason. No. 9 hitter Andres Gimenez collected 4 RBIs. The Jays' lineup flooded the basepaths all evening.

Given the assured approach the Blue Jays have been enjoying at T-Cellular Park, it’s virtually exhausting to consider they flew to Seattle being down 0-2 within the best-of-seven sequence. Now, it doesn't matter what occurs in Friday’s Sport 5, they've compelled the sequence to return to Toronto. How far will their resiliency take them?

Listed below are my takeaways from the Jays’ 8-2 win over the Mariners:

1. Giménez on a heater

Who’s extra clutch than Andres Giménez proper now? The Blue Jays shortstop clobbered a house run for the second straight day in Sport 4 of the ALCS. And similar to his first one, Thursday evening’s shot was a two-run homer that eradicated the Blue Jays’ one-run deficit in opposition to the Mariners. Giménez labored a troublesome, eight-pitch at-bat in opposition to Luis Castillo earlier than skying an 85 mph slider over the fence in proper area.

Astonishingly, Giménez may be very a lot not a home-run hitter. In actual fact, his offense will seemingly by no means catch as much as the wizardry he executes together with his glove. Giménez, solely beginning at shortstop due to Bo Bichette’s nagging damage, recorded simply seven residence runs this season, and three of these got here in his first 5 video games of the 12 months. He posted an OPS+ of 66, which signifies he’s 34 factors worse than a league-average hitter. However none of that issues proper now. Giménez is taking the Blue Jays off the ALCS mat.

"He’s simply taking actually aggressive swings proper now," Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider instructed FOX Sports activities’ Ken Rosenthal. "Understanding what the scenario is asking for."

(Photograph by Alika Jenner/Getty Pictures)

2. Nayls will get M’s going

A day after delighting Seattle natives by rocking a throwback Kevin Durant SuperSonics jersey, Josh Naylor received one other bucket when he despatched his second residence run of the postseason to the center-field bleachers. Naylor was throughout a Max Scherzer changeup to guide off the second inning. It was his second hit in six profession at-bats in opposition to the veteran pitcher. Naylor’s solo shot gave the Mariners a 1-0 lead earlier than the Blue Jays offense erased it within the subsequent inning.

However Naylor’s homer underlined how a lot he has meant to the Mariners since they acquired him in a midseason commerce from the Diamondbacks. The primary baseman has match proper into the clubhouse, and Mariners followers are desirous to see the 28-year-old re-sign with Seattle this offseason, when Naylor will change into a free agent.

3. Mad Max did what?!

Max Scherzer took the mound for his ALCS Sport 4 begin with folks doubting whether or not he may actually put collectively one other sturdy outing in October. In spite of everything, he entered Thursday — which was his five hundredth profession begin, together with the playoffs — with a 8.79 ERA in his final 4 postseason begins. He hadn’t recorded a win in October since Sport 1 of the 2019 World Sequence because the ace of the Nationals rotation. There was purpose to be skeptical.

Man, does Scherzer love proving everybody mistaken.

The 41-year-old right-hander pitched deeper into Sport 4 than even his supervisor anticipated, tossing 5 ⅔ innings of one-run ball whereas putting out 5 batters throughout 87 pitches. He additionally picked a runner off first base for the primary time in 9 years. Scherzer, the primary pitcher in MLB historical past to begin a postseason sport for six totally different groups, ultimately screamed at John Schneider to return into the dugout when the skipper got here out to test on him within the fifth inning. He rewarded that belief by whiffing Randy Arozarena on a nasty curveball. Pure old-school dominance from Mad Max.

4. Seattle pitching falters

Luis Castillo was requested to get the Mariners again within the win column. As a substitute, he recorded the shortest begin in his playoff profession. The fitting-hander was pulled after simply 2 ⅓ innings on Thursday after he coughed up three earned runs to the pesky Blue Jays offense. It wasn’t in any respect what supervisor Dan Wilson anticipated from Castillo, who entered the day with a 1.40 ERA in 5 profession postseason outings.

However this has been an unorthodox postseason for Castillo. In Sport 5 of the ALDS vs. Detroit, he entered the sport within the prime of the 14th inning and retired all 4 batters he confronted in his first profession MLB reduction look (common season or postseason). Resulting from that emergency outing from the ‘pen, his Sport 4 begin was the primary time he confronted the Blue Jays on this ALCS. It’s truthful to wonder if that quick, 15-pitch outing in opposition to the Tigers tousled his routine forward of Sport 4. Both approach, the Blue Jays gave him no respiration room.

4 ½. What’s subsequent?

Now that the Blue Jays have evened the sequence, the momentum is again on their aspect, and so they look poised to win yet one more highway sport at T-Cellular Park. However they’ll need to undergo Bryce Miller first, and the right-hander was terrific in his Sport 1 begin in opposition to the Jays on Sunday on the Rogers Centre, holding them to at least one run on two hits over six innings. It’ll be righty Kevin Gausman toeing the rubber for Toronto, and he’ll hope to go deeper into his outing on Friday evening than his faster hook in Sport 1.

"Anytime you are pitching the largest sport of the season as much as that time you are feeling actually honored that you just're getting the ball, and excited," Gausman mentioned. "There's undoubtedly some jitters, however that is a part of the sport. I imply, that is what we stay for." (edited)

Deesha Thosar is an MLB author for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand coated the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Day by day Information. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Lengthy Island and now lives in Queens. Comply with her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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