As expected, the Jays went with Aaron Nola in Game 3. Maybe we'll finally see Tom Thornton tomorrow.
Chris Paddack did not pitch as well as he normally he does, but it seems these days all he has to do is throw his glove on the mound and the Rays win. For the 11th time in 12 starts since his deadline move from San Diego the Rays won a Paddack start and today's 6-3 triumph puts them up 2-1 and one game away from advancing to the ALCS. It didn't start out pretty as Paddack had a walk, a HBP ahead of a Ryan Noda RBI single in the 1st, a Lourdes Gurriel Jr solo shot in the 2nd and then with two out in the fourth he allowed 3 straight singles with Bo Bichette's driving in a run. Meanwhile, Nola through 4 2/3 had picked up where he left off shutting down the Yankees in the Wild Card Game, but Abraham Toro with two out changed the momentum with a solo shot to make it 3-1, and then Nola melted down, giving up singles to Marsh and Brujan, followed by a mammoth Wander blast to right-center and the Rays were suddenly ahead. Inspired by the lead, Paddack shut down the Jays over the next 2 innings (final line: 6 8 3 3 1 4), and the Rays tacked on a couple more in the 6th aided by a Cavan Biggio error and Nola wild-pitching in a run ahead of a Toro RBI single. The new bullpen troika of Anderson/Alvarado/Harris then took over, with Alvarado coming up big with all of Toronto's lefties, getting the last out in the 7th, the entire 8th, and getting lefty Biggio to start the 9th. Will Harris got the last two outs but didn't qualify for a save.
Welp, so much for a Minnesota 0-2 comeback like in 2020:
This game (and series) was over early, as the Mariners bludgeoned the Twins. Jarred Kelenic was named series MVP and Justin Dunn threw 7 innings of 2-hit shutout ball for the win. Seattle awaits either the Rays or the Jays in the ALCS.