Three Lessons from Mariners’ ALCS Struggles Against Toronto Blue Jays
The mood at T-Mobile Park has shifted dramatically over the once two nights.
The Seattle Mariners, who formerly held a 2- 0 lead in their first American League Championship Series in 24 years, now find themselves position at 2- 2 with the Toronto Blue Jays following a heavy 8- 2 defeat in Game 4 on Thursday.
FINAL: Toronto Blue Jays 8, Seattle Mariners 2.
▪️ Seranthony Domínguez strikes out Dominic Canzone to end the Blue Jays’ win in Game 4 of the ALCS.#ALCS #Postseason pic.twitter.com/0LiiP657V3
— FC One Football (@FCOneFootball) October 17, 2025
Seattle now faces the harsh reality of traveling back to Toronto, one loss down from a heartbreaking exit just shy of their initial World Series appearance.
Toronto’s lineup is formidable, led by star hitters George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Alejandro Kirk, each capable of game-changing performances. But what’s hurt Seattle most are the unexpected contributors.
“The guys who can’t beat you are”, and here, the Blue Jays’ bottom order has made a mockery of that phrase.
Over the last two games, Toronto’s eight and nine hitters went 9 for 16, with two home runs, two doubles, seven RBIs, and six runs. Bench players, filling in for injured starters, have been particularly damaging.
Glove-first shortstop Andrés Giménez, sporting a modest.598 OPS this season, has collected five successes and six RBIs across the two triumphs, smashing two-run homers in each game to abolish the Mariners’ leads.
Isaiah Kiner-Falefa added two successes, including a double, and scored twice in Game 4.
Indeed, Max Scherzer, Game 4 starter for Toronto, who posted a career-worst 5.19 ERA this season and hadn’t pitched since 24 September, kept Seattle to just two runs over 52/3 innings.
In baseball, applying pressure early often sets the tone. The Mariners have done so throughout the postseason, scoring first in eight of nine games. Yet against Toronto, their early leads have been met with devastating responses.
After taking a 2-0 lead in Game 3, the Mariners watched as the Blue Jays posted five runs in the third, then a relentless 12-run streak before Seattle scored again in the eighth.
In Game 4, a similar pattern emerged: one run in the second was swiftly met with three in the third and two in the fourth. Seattle’s late run in the sixth was immediately matched in the seventh.
Once again, Giménez’s power from the bottom of the order sparked Toronto’s rallies. The Mariners must rediscover the resilience that carried them through comeback wins earlier in the season.
Errors have compounded Seattle’s woes. Toronto has been near flawless, while the Mariners’ miscues have been glaring.
Thursday’s blunders were particularly damaging: a walk-in run, a wild pitch allowing another, and Josh Naylor’s ill-fated attempt to stretch a single into a third-base out, halting Seattle’s best rally chance with the tying run on deck.
In the postseason, mistakes can be fatal. And right now, they are Seattle’s undoing.
The Mariners face a critical challenge. One loss in Toronto could end a season that has so tantalisingly promised history.
