TORONTO (Interstat) — The Seattle Mariners, a franchise defined by its postseason absences, are now just two wins away from a historic first. Julio Rodríguez and Jorge Polanco hit three-run homers, Josh Naylor added a two-run drive and a relentless Mariners offense overpowered the Toronto Blue Jays 10-3 on Monday to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.

Playing before a sold-out crowd of 44,814 at a stunned Rogers Centre, the Mariners seized control early and never relented, muzzling a potent Blue Jays lineup after the second inning. Seattle, the only Major League Baseball team never to have hosted a World Series game, heads home for Game 3 on Wednesday needing two more victories in the best-of-seven series to end that decades-long drought.

The Mariners’ victory, which took 3 hours and 28 minutes, defied pregame projections that heavily favored the home team. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 7-5 Toronto win, and its ELO system gave the Blue Jays a 53.2 percent probability of victory. The Blue Jays had also been installed as pregame favorites with a spread of -1.5. Instead, the Mariners’ offensive explosion sent the total score of 13 sailing over the over/under line of 7.5.

Seattle’s assault began immediately against Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage. Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch and Cal Raleigh worked a walk to set the table for Rodríguez, who promptly launched a three-run homer to left field, silencing the crowd and staking the Mariners to a 3-0 lead before many fans had found their seats.

Toronto responded in the bottom of the first against Seattle starter Logan Gilbert. George Springer led off with a double and later scored on a single by Nathan Lukes, who advanced to second on a throwing error by Naylor. A two-out single by Alejandro Kirk brought Lukes home, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

The Blue Jays tied the game in the second inning. Ernie Clement singled, advanced to third on a pair of productive groundouts, and scored on a two-out single from Lukes. That, however, would be the high-water mark for the Toronto offense. From that point forward, the Blue Jays managed just one more hit, a fifth-inning single by Lukes, and were largely neutralized by Seattle’s bullpen.

Yesavage, the losing pitcher, lasted just one inning, charged with three runs on one hit—the Rodríguez homer—with two walks. He fell to 2-1 on the season.

The game remained tied until the fifth inning, when the Mariners broke it open for good. Arozarena reached on an infield single and a throwing error by shortstop Andrés Giménez allowed him to take second. After an intentional walk to Raleigh and a strikeout by Rodríguez, Polanco stepped up and demolished a three-run homer to center field, restoring Seattle’s three-run lead at 6-3.

Seattle added an insurance run in the sixth. Pinch-runner Leo Rivas, who entered after a Mitch Garver triple, scored on a single by J.P. Crawford.

The Mariners put the game completely out of reach in the seventh. After an out, Polanco singled, bringing Naylor to the plate. Naylor connected on a towering two-run shot to right field, his first of the postseason, making it 9-3. The Mariners weren’t done, loading the bases later in the inning before Crawford lifted a sacrifice fly to center to cap the scoring at 10-3.

While the offense provided the fireworks, Seattle’s pitching was the story of the latter half of the game. After Gilbert allowed three runs on five hits over three innings, the Mariners’ bullpen delivered six innings of near-perfect relief. Eduard Bazardo, the winning pitcher, tossed two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit to improve to 6-0. He was followed by two hitless innings from Carlos Vargas and a final scoreless frame from Emerson Hancock, who closed out the victory.

Toronto’s offense, so formidable during the regular season, was held to just six hits total and was 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position. Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 0 for 3 with a walk and is now hitless in the series. As a team, the Blue Jays managed only eight hits across the first two games of the ALCS.

Key performances for the Mariners included Naylor, who went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs; Polanco, who was 2 for 5 with his three-run homer and three RBIs; and Rodríguez, whose first-inning blast set the tone. For the Blue Jays, Lukes provided a brief spark, going 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.

The Mariners, who improved to 95-74 across all competitions, now hold a significant advantage as the series shifts to Seattle. The Blue Jays, who fell to 97-71, face a must-win scenario in Game 3 on Wednesday at T-Mobile Park. No team in ALCS history has ever overcome a 2-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first two games at home.