Blue Jays keep wild-card party going with comeback thriller over Seattle Mariners

Published Aug 29, 2026  •  3 minute read

Charles McAdoo #26 of the Toronto Blue Jays slides home to score on a single off the bat of Alejandro Kirk #30 (not pictured) in the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Rogers Centre on Saturday. Photo by Cole Burston /Getty Images

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They have been flawed more often than is comfortable, have lacked consistency and at some point may be pitching and playing on fumes.

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But for now, it’s time to fasten the seat belts for what seems headed for another wild ride by the Blue Jays.

With the wild-card race heating up yet again — the Jays scored a 4-3 comeback win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday afternoon — an electrifying win that may end up being as big as it felt.

That makes it two in a row against the team they beat in last year’s ALCS — and one of the combatants in the wild-card race — a pair of games that have dulled the downer of a series loss to the Kansas City Royals.

This one, played out before another sellout crowd at the Rogers Centre, was high in emotion for a fired-up fan base. It began with Buck Martinez’s emotional induction into the team’s Hall of Excellence and included a gritty comeback.

And for entertainment value, a standing ovation for Alejandro Kirk, who rumbled from first to second in the seventh inning.

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The result moved the Jays to within two games of Cleveland for the final AL wild-card spot and in a tie with the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers, who are also in pursuit of the Guardians.

It sure felt like a big win, with the fans rising to see Louis Varland finish off his 31st save of the season.

The big moments stacked up, including a reliever, Mason Fluharty, striking out Cal Raleigh, who had already homered in the game, with two out and runners on the corners in the eighth.

And now, with veteran Max Scherzer on the mound for a Sunday matinee, the Jays will look to bury the Mariners with a sweep and continue their ascent.

Has the offence awoken?

The day after they throttled the Mariners 8-1, riding three homers for that outburst, the Jays channelled memories of 2025.

On Saturday, after finding themselves in a 3-0 hole through four innings, they manufactured offence to take advantage of some stunned play from the Mariners.

It began in the fifth with a one-out single from Myles Straw, followed by a Brett Bateman walk, which ended the day for the Mariners rookie starter, Kade Anderson. After Kirk struck out Vlad Guerrero Jr. walked to load the bases.

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Then came the wacky.

A George Springer walk included a wild pitch that brought both Straw and Bateman home go make it a one-run game. RBI singles from Bateman and Kirk the following inning game the Jays the lead and suddenly the celebration was back on.

Loading up for Cleveland

Publicly, anyway, Schneider is loath to look too far ahead and place too much significance on one particular series.

Apparently that has changed for next week’s trip to the southern shores of Lake Erie.

Recognizing the importance of a three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians, who entered Saturday’s play as the team to catch for the final AL wild-card spot, Schneider plans to load up with his best arms. For now, that means Spencer Arrighetti is in line for Tuesday’s opener followed by ace Dylan Cease and Jose Soriano.

Those plans began to take shape on Friday, when Schneider took Cease out after six innings in what would be a blowout win over the M’s.

“I think just looking at his overall body of work, too, knowing where the pitch count has been,” Schneider said of Cease. “Whether it was trying to go for a no hitter, or a complete-game shutout (at times the workload has been heavy.)”

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