[Sunday’s MLB schedule | Live blog]
The American League Division Series got off to an unexpected start Saturday. The mighty New York Yankees’ offense was limited to one run in a blowout loss to the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. In the other series, the Detroit Tigers managed a tight win over the Seattle Mariners in extra innings to take an early lead in the series.
Advertisement
After two tough losses, the Yankees and Mariners entered Sunday eager to even their series. They went 1-for-2.
[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]
That was the home playoff game Seattle had been waiting for.
One day after their series-opening disappointment in extra innings, the Mariners faced a tall task: Beat the Tigers with Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal on the mound, or face an 0-2 ALDS hole as the series moved to Detroit. They chose the former in a 3-2 victory in Game 2, their first home playoff win in 24 years.
Skubal looked as dominant as ever, except when he faced Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco. The MLB veteran took the ace deep twice to give his team the lead.
Advertisement
Those homers would have been enough, had the Tigers not rallied in the eighth inning when a pair of mistakes — a walk and a Josh Naylor error — put two runners on base, and then both scored on a Spencer Torkelson double. That turn of events left T-Mobile Park quiet, at least until the bottom of the inning.
Franchise cornerstones Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez hit back-to-back doubles to put the Mariners back ahead in a classic postseason moment for the franchise. Andrés Muñoz then closed out the game to tie the series 1-1, with Logan Gilbert and Jack Flaherty on track to start Game 3, which begins at 4:08 p.m. ET Tuesday in Detroit.
Toronto’s beatdown of New York in Game 1 was brutal. This one was worse — at least, until the Blue Jays’ bullpen got involved.
Advertisement
In front of a raucous Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays once again showed off in Game 2 behind a grand slam from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a four-extra-base-hit game from Daulton Varsho and an 11-strikeout, zero-hit start from rookie Trey Yesavage.
Yesavage, who was drafted last year and began 2025 in Low-A, set the tone early, striking out three batters in the first inning and at one point striking out six batters in a row, which tied an MLB postseason record. His 11 total K’s broke the Blue Jays’ postseason record.
The game was broken open in the fourth inning, when Guerrero demolished a baseball for the first postseason grand slam in Blue Jays history. Varsho proceeded to add two more homers after that to go with his two doubles earlier in the game. At one point, the score was 12-0 Blue Jays. The Yankees made it a game again with seven combined runs in the sixth and seventh innings against the Toronto bullpen, but that still left a large gap to make up.
The loss marked the first time the Yankees allowed double-digit runs in back-to-back postseason games, and now the reigning AL champs are staring at an 0-2 hole in the ALDS as the series moves to the Bronx. To save their season, they will send out Carlos Rodón to face Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber in Game 3, which begins at 8:08 p.m. Tuesday.
MLB divisional round live blog
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more from Day 2 of the division series: