Max Scherzer's sharp outing pulls Jays level in ALCS

SEATTLE -- Max Scherzer pitched 5 2/3 innings for his first postseason victory since 2019 as the Toronto Blue Jays evened the American League Championship Series by defeating the Seattle Mariners 8-2 in Game 4 on Thursday.

Andres Gimenez and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. both homered for the second straight game as the Blue Jays have won two in a row on the road to square the best-of-seven series after dropping the first two at home.

Gimenez drove in four runs, and he, Guerrero, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ernie Clement each had two of Toronto's 11 hits.

Josh Naylor homered and went 3-for-3 for the Mariners, who finished with five hits.

Game 5 is scheduled for Friday in Seattle.

Scherzer (1-0) was charged with two runs on three hits in the 500th start of his major league career. He walked four and struck out five.

The 41-year-old right-hander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, was making his first appearance since Sept. 24. A neck ailment kept him off the Blue Jays' AL Division Series roster.

The Blue Jays followed the same script as in their 13-4 victory in Game 3.

Toronto fell behind early, this time on Naylor's leadoff homer to right-center field in the second inning, before taking the lead in the third.

Kiner-Falefa opened the frame with a double down the left field line, and Gimenez followed with a homer to right off Luis Castillo (1-1).

With one out, Nathan Lukes and Guerrero singled before Alejandro Kirk walked to load the bases, prompting Mariners manager Dan Wilson to replace Castillo with left-hander Gabe Speier. The move backfired when Speier walked Daulton Varsho to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.

Castillo yielded three runs on five hits and a walk in 2 1/3 innings. He struck out one.

Toronto extended the margin in the fourth. Kiner-Falefa led off with a single to center, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gimenez and scored on George Springer's double to left. Springer took third on a groundout before jogging home on a wild pitch by Matt Brash to make it 5-1.

The Mariners got a run back in the sixth after Jorge Polanco drew a two-out walk to end Scherzer's night. Reliever Mason Fluharty walked Naylor before Eugenio Suarez lined a run-scoring single, with right fielder Addison Barger throwing out Naylor at third to end the inning.

Guerrero went deep to right-center with one out in the seventh off Eduard Bazardo to make it 6-2.

The Blue Jays tacked on two more runs in the eighth. Clement led off with a single and Barger walked. After a sacrifice bunt by Kiner-Falefa, Gimenez grounded a two-run single up the middle to extend the lead to 8-2.