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Mariners most to blame for blowing ALCS vs. Blue Jays
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- Mariners most to blame for blowing ALCS vs. Blue Jays
The post Mariners most to blame for blowing ALCS vs. Blue Jays appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Seattle Mariners had their shot at history, but they went on the wrong side of it. After winning the first two games in hostile territory, it felt like the Mariners was finally ready to make their first-ever World Series appearance . Yet the dream vanished almost overnight. The Blue Jays stormed back to win four of the next five games , and the turning point came when George Kirby and the Mariners completely lost control in Game 3 . That one disaster flipped the entire ALCS against the Mariners.
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Mariners fans expected dominance from George Kirby , but instead got chaos. In Game 3, Kirby gave up eight runs in just four innings, allowing the Blue Jays to hit three home runs and seize back momentum. What had been a confident Mariners squad instantly looked shaken. His fastball missed spots, his command disappeared, and every mistake turned into damage. For a pitcher trusted to be the anchor of Seattle's rotation, Kirby's collapse was catastrophic. It not only cost the team a home win, but it also shattered their psychological edge.
The Mariners never fully recovered. Game 4's struggles piled on and erased any remaining confidence Seattle had. When the series returned to Toronto , the Blue Jays were the ones brimming with belief. In Game 7, George Kirby bounced back with a strong start, keeping Seattle in control early and giving them a 3-1 lead. However, the bullpen once again faltered. They couldn't hold that advantage before George Springer crushed a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh. But by then, the damage had already been done. The tone of the entire series had changed back in Seattle, when Kirby lost control of the narrative.
Yes, other Mariners share part of the blame, the bullpen melted, the lineup cooled, and the coaching staff failed to adjust. But make no mistake: Game 3 was the pivot point. For a team that prided itself on resilience and pitching depth, it was their supposed ace who opened the door for Toronto. George Kirby's meltdown will linger as one of the most painful moments in Mariners postseason history.
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Seattle's collapse wasn't just about losing a lead. It was about losing belief, one bad inning at a time. And for that, George Kirby stands as the face of a heartbreaking ALCS defeat for the Mariners.
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