Mariners homer ties things up 2-2 against the Jays in Game 5 of the ALCS

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The blueness Jays ar holding a slim 2-1 lead late in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) on Friday night, but Toronto slugger George Springer has left the game after taking a pitch to the knee in the top of the seventh inning.

On the pitching side, Toronto reliever Louis Varland retired three Mariners in a row — Dominic Calzone, Leo Rivas and Julio Rodríguez — to get through the bottom of the seventh.

The Jays got the lead in the sixth, when Ernie Clement's RBI single scored Alejandro Kirk, making the score 2-1 for Toronto.

But the start of Toronto's comeback effort began in the fifth, after an RBI double from Toronto's George Springer tied the game 1-1.

Addison Barger got on base with a leadoff single to start the fifth, but the next two batters — Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andrés Giménez — could not bring him home. Springer's timely hit with two out, brought Toronto even with Seattle.

But the promising fifth-inning rally fizzled after Ontario-born Seattle reliever Matt Brash struck out slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Seattle got off to an early lead in Game 5, after Eugenio Suárez hit a solo home run off Toronto's Kevin Gausman in the bottom of the second inning.

Gausman stayed in the game into the sixth, but was pulled after walking a batter with two outs. Blue Jays manager John Schneider called in reliever Louis Varland to take the ball for Toronto.

Varland walked Suárez before a groundout from Seattle's J.P. Crawford ended the inning.

Toronto and Seattle have each won two games in the best-of-seven ALCS, and the team that wins Friday's game will be well-placed to move on to the World Series.

Momentum has moved in Toronto's favour over the past two games, as the Blue Jays' offence helped reverse Seattle's two-game lead in the ALCS. Sharp pitching from two veteran starters — Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer — and solid backup from the bullpen was also key.

Toronto racked up 29 hits in the past two games, outscoring Seattle 21-6 over that same stretch.

The Jays beat Seattle by a score of 8-2 in Thursday's Game 4, powered by a feisty Scherzer. The 41-year-old pitched his first playoff game in a Blue Jays uniform.

Toronto's Game 3 victory was a bit more lopsided Wednesday night, when they won 13-4 over Seattle.

Seattle won the first two ALCS games at Toronto's Rogers Centre — 3-1 in Game 1, and 10-3 in Game 2.

Before Friday's game, Mariners manager Dan Wilson said the Jays had been able to take advantage of Seattle's mixed bag of pitching.

"They've been able to put together a more consistent approach than they were able to do during the first couple games of the series," Wilson said Friday afternoon.

The Blue Jays' Game 4 victory means both teams will head back to Toronto for a Game 6 in the ALCS on Sunday night.

If Game 7 is necessary, it will be played Monday, also at Rogers Centre.

The winner of the ALCS will advance to the World Series — a stage Toronto last reached in the '90s. Seattle, meanwhile, has never been part of the Fall Classic.

The team that goes to the World Series will play the winner of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) — either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Dodgers — the winners of two of the past five World Series — are leading the best-of-seven NLCS 3-0 ahead of their own Friday night game with the Brewers.

Blue Jays beat Seattle 8-2 to even up American League championship at 2 games each

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