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- MLB playoffs 2025: Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s near-cycle leads the way as Blue Jays storm back for ALCS Game 3 victory vs. Mariners
MLB playoffs 2025: Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s near-cycle leads the way as Blue Jays storm back for ALCS Game 3 victory vs. Mariners
SEATTLE — Let’s be real for a second: you don’t often see a dude come up to the plate four times and just absolutely demolish the baseball every single trip. But that’s exactly what Vladimir Guerrero Jr.did in ALCS Game 3, putting on a show that had the entire Blue Jays dugout losing their minds and the Mariners pitching staff looking like they’d rather be anywhere else. Picture this: a high-chopper he legged out for an infield single, a laser-beam double that nearly took out a chunk of the left-field wall, a monster homer to dead center that probably still hasn’t landed, and then, in his final at-bat, a shot to right-center that had everyone screaming for him to go for three.A cycle, man. The second in MLB postseason history.It was right there. But Vlad, being the smart veteran he is, hit the brakes at second, knowing that trying for a triple in a 12-2 blowout was a one-way ticket to potentially tweaking a hamstring and becoming a meme.The dugout was chaos, though. Infielder Ernie Clement admitted they were all yelling, just absolutely roasting him for not going for it, while third baseman Addison Barger had that classic 'Oh, wait, he’s a triple away… oh crap!' moment.Backup catcher Tyler Heineman, looking visibly bummed, conceded it was the smart play but, come on, who wouldn’t want to witness history? The vibe in that Toronto clubhouse was electric, a complete 180 from the first two games back home where the offense basically went into witness protection, mustering one hit after George Springer’s leadoff homer in Game 1 and then evaporating again in a 10-3 Game 2 loss that had everyone hitting the panic button. Heading west to the least hitter-friendly park in the majors, T-Mobile Park, with a 2-0 deficit? Not exactly a recipe for confidence.But this Jays lineup led MLB in batting average and on-base percentage during the season for a reason, and veteran pitcher Chris Bassitt said it perfectly ahead of the game: they hadn’t played their game yet. They knew they were better than that.And boy, did they prove it. It wasn’t just Vlad, though he was the undeniable engine.The entire offense exploded for 18 hits and five homers. Every starter reached base, eight guys scored, six had multi-hit games.They tagged Seattle’s starter George Kirby for eight runs and then kept piling on against a bullpen that had no answers. This was the kind of collective outburst that reminds you why they were the top seed, a statement win that completely shifted the momentum of the series.But let’s not forget the other side of the story: Shane Bieber on the mound. After a rough ALDS outing where he recorded just eight outs, the pressure was on.And when Julio Rodriguez took him deep in the first inning for a quick 2-0 Mariners lead, the place went nuts and you could feel the 'here we go again' tension. Bieber, though, isn’t your flamethrowing ace; he’s a craftsman.In an era obsessed with 100-mph heat, he thrives on precision, mixing a slider, changeup, knuckle-curve, and cutter to keep hitters off balance. After that first-inning mistake, and after his offense handed him a five-run lead in the top of the third, he settled in and was masterful.His slider was filthy, getting seven whiffs on a dozen swings, and he carved through the Mariners' lineup, allowing just two more baserunners over the next five innings. He completed six frames on 88 pitches, striking out eight and providing the stability the pitching staff desperately needed after Kevin Gausman’s late misstep in Game 1 and the bullpen’s struggles in Game 2.Manager John Schneider called it 'exactly what we needed,' and he wasn’t wrong. So now the series is flipped on its head.The Mariners, who showed incredible resilience in that epic 15-inning ALDS Game 5 against Detroit, now face a much taller task. They have to bounce back against a Blue Jays team that has rediscovered its swagger and has its heart and soul, Vlad Guerrero Jr., looking like the best hitter on the planet. As Schneider said, momentum is a real thing, but they’re treating Game 4 like it’s 0-0.For the Mariners, the question is whether their pitching can find an answer for a lineup that just woke up in the loudest way possible. For the Jays, it’s about proving this wasn’t a one-off, but a return to the form that made them the team to beat all season. One thing’s for sure: this ALCS just got a whole lot more interesting.
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Chloe Miller123k9 hours ago
vlad is just unreal sometimes, that was a masterclass tbh shame about the triple tho
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