TORONTO — Jorge Polanco continues to deliver when it counts for the Mariners, and as a result, Seattle heads home with a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series (ALCS).
The second baseman’s three-run homer in the fifth inning on Monday snapped a tie in Game 2 and propelled the Mariners to a 10-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Polanco also had the go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning of Game 1 during Seattle’s 3-1 victory and the game-ending hit on Friday in the 15th inning against the Detroit Tigers in the decisive Game 5 of the AL Division Series.
According to OptaSTATS, he is the first player in major league history to have a go-ahead hit in the fifth inning or later in three consecutive postseason games.
Polanco had help on Monday. Julio Rodriguez also hit a three-run shot three batters into the game and Josh Naylor added a two-run blast among his three hits for the Mariners, who will host the next three games of the best-of-seven series starting Wednesday.
Losing the first two at home puts the Blue Jays in a precarious position.
Seattle scored three in the first against Trey Yesavage (1-1). Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch, Cal Raleigh walked and Rodriguez slugged a 1-2 splitter to left for his second homer of the postseason.
Toronto answered with two in the bottom of the inning against Logan Gilbert. George Springer doubled to left and scored when first baseman Naylor threw wildly to Gilbert, who was covering first on Nathan Lukes’ grounder. — Reuters
