TORONTO — Addison Barger hit a two-run homer and had three RBIs Sunday night as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Seattle Mariners 6-2 to force Game 7 in the American League Championship Series.
The decisive game will be played Monday night in Toronto.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added a solo shot for Toronto. Josh Naylor homered for the Mariners, who have never won an AL pennant.
Seattle committed two errors to help Toronto take a 2-0 lead in the second against Logan Gilbert (1-1).
Daulton Varsho lined a single to center and took second on center fielder Julio Rodriguez’s error to open the second. Ernie Clement reached first on third baseman Eugenio Suarez’s error. Barger then lined an RBI single to right before scoring on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s infield hit, a trickler toward third.
Trey Yesavage (2-1) retired his first six batters, striking out the side in the second. He allowed two walks and a single off the right field wall to load the bases in the third before Cal Raleigh grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Clement tripled high off the left field wall with two out in the home third and two pitches later Barger homered to center on an 0-1 slider to make it 4-0.
Seattle again loaded the bases in the fourth on two singles and a walk before J.P. Crawford grounded into an inning-ending double play.
The Mariners grounded into an inning-ending double play again in the fifth, this time by Rodriguez.
Guerrero led off the home fifth with his sixth home run of the postseason, a shot to right. His six career postseason homers tie him with Joe Carter and Jose Bautista for most in team history.
Eduard Bazardo replaced Gilbert, who allowed five runs (four earned), seven hits and one walk with three strikeouts in four-plus innings.
Naylor homered to right with two out in the sixth. After Randy Arozarena followed with a single, Louis Varland replaced Yesavage and Suarez looped an RBI single to right. Yesavage allowed two runs, six hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
Guerrero scored on a wild pitch and a throwing error in the seventh after being hit by a Matt Brash pitch and taking second on Alejandro Kirk’s single.
Toronto’s Jeff Hoffman pitched a perfect eighth and worked around a walk in the ninth. He had four strikeouts.
–Larry Millson, Field Level Media
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