TORONTO (Interstat) — Facing postseason elimination, the Toronto Blue Jays delivered a commanding performance Sunday afternoon, defeating the Seattle Mariners 6-2 in Game 6 of their American League playoff series before a sellout crowd of 44,764 at Rogers Centre.

The victory, powered by a strong start from pitcher Trey Yesavage and a clutch home run from Addison Barger, forced a decisive Game 7 on Monday. The Mariners, who now lead the series three games to two, saw their opportunity to clinch a series victory on the road evaporate against a relentless Blue Jays offense and a lockdown bullpen.

Yesavage, credited with the win, was instrumental in steadying the Blue Jays. He pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out seven. His effort improved his season record to 3-1. The loss was assigned to Seattle’s Logan Gilbert, who fell to 7-7 after being charged with five runs, four of them earned, over four innings of work.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the second inning, when Toronto capitalized on defensive miscues by Seattle. After Daulton Varsho singled and advanced to second on a fielding error by center fielder Julio Rodríguez, Ernie Clement reached on an error by third baseman Eugenio Suárez. Barger then delivered a line-drive single to right field, scoring Varsho. Isiah Kiner-Falefa followed with an infield single that plated Clement, giving the Blue Jays an early 2-0 lead.

Toronto expanded its lead in the third inning. Clement sparked the rally with a one-out triple to left field. Barger stepped up again, this time launching a two-run home run to right-center field, pushing the Blue Jays’ advantage to 4-0.

The Mariners’ defense continued to falter, but their offense was stifled by Yesavage and a series of inning-ending double plays. Seattle grounded into double plays to end threats in the third and fifth innings, squandering potential scoring opportunities.

Toronto added a solo run in the fifth when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off the inning by crushing a line-drive home run to left field, making the score 5-0.

Seattle finally broke through against Yesavage in the sixth inning. After two quick outs, Josh Naylor connected for a solo home run to right field. Randy Arozarena followed with a single, and Suárez drove him in with a line-drive single of his own, cutting the deficit to 5-2 and chasing Yesavage from the game.

The Blue Jays’ bullpen, however, extinguished any hope of a Seattle comeback. Jeff Hoffman was dominant in relief, firing two perfect innings and striking out four batters. Louis Varland contributed 1 1/3 scoreless innings to bridge the gap to the late innings.

Toronto added an insurance run in the seventh inning without the benefit of a hit. After Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was hit by a pitch and Alejandro Kirk singled, a walk to Ernie Clement and another to Barger with the bases loaded forced in a run, restoring a four-run cushion at 6-2.

From there, the combination of Varland and Hoffman shut the door, retiring the final 10 Mariners batters in order. Seattle managed just seven hits total, with Naylor’s 2-for-4, one-home run, one-RBI performance standing as a bright spot in an otherwise quiet day for the Mariners’ lineup.

For Toronto, Barger’s three-RBI day, including the crucial two-run homer, led the offensive charge. Clement also had a productive day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a triple, a double, and two runs scored. Guerrero Jr. added two hits, including his solo shot.

The loss drops Seattle’s season record to 96-77, while Toronto improves to 100-72. The stage is now set for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday at Rogers Centre, with the winner advancing to the American League Championship Series.