SEATTLE - Max Scherzer, 41-years-old and spitting mad at Toronto manager John Schneider for the very suggestion he leave Thursday's game with two outs in the fifth inning, punctuating his point by striking out Randy Arozarena on a sweeping curve ball to retire the side.
It was the fire of an aging superstar who knows he only has a few of these moments left in life, against a team playing like it is still happy to be on this stage, and a little nervous, too.
The Mariners were uncompetitive for the second straight American League Championship Series home game, falling 8-2 to the Blue Jays in a game that seemed to mirror Wednesday's 13-4 collapse.
Scherzer pitched like it was 2016. The two-time Cy Young Award winner entered Thursday's game sporting a 5.19 ERA, but was nigh unhittable to most of the Mariners lineup, striking out five in 5.2 innings of work.
Scherzer had given 21 runs in just 19 innings over his previous five starts, and had not pitched since Sept. 24 after taking some time to rest and recuperate after a bout of thumb inflammation over the summer. The time off turned back the clock for the eight-time All Star.
For years the story around the Mariners was that their collection of young, star pitchers would make them a World Series threat just as soon as the offense caught up enough to get them to the playoffs. First round picks like George Kirby and Logan Gilbert, paired with star free agent acquisition Luis Castillo made for one of the youngest, most exciting pitching rotations in baseball.
But under the brightest lights seen in these parts, Castillo and Gilbert wilted, each giving up enough runs in the third inning of their starts for Seattle's hard-won 2-0 series lead to evaporate while raucous crowds at T-Mobile Park were stunned into silence.
It was all sorts of déjà vu for Seattle fans on Thursday, who would probably happily send their team back to Toronto a day early.
Or maybe Major League Baseball will let them skip the third inning on Friday.
As on Wednesday, the Mariners took an early lead with a crowd-juicing home run. And as on Wednesday, Blue Jays nine-hole hitter Andres Gimenez followed a double with a two-run shot for Toronto, this time off Castillo.
Gimenez, it should be noted, hit seven home runs over the course of the entire regular season. He drove in two more runs with a single in the eighth inning, giving the last batter in Toronto's lineup six RBI over two games.
Castillo was done after 2.1 innings, having thrown just 48 pitches, the lowest of his career.
Consecutive singles by Nathan Lukes and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. only seemed to strengthen the sense that the Mariners were once again helpless to let a home playoff game run away from them. Castillo's night was over after walking Alejandro Kirk, and Gabe Speier walked in a run before limiting the damage to three runs in the third.
Some teams would gear up for the fight. The Mariners? Leo Rivas worked a walk but was picked off at first with MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh at the plate. Ah well, Raleigh struck out anyway.
Later star reliever Matt Brash came in for Speier with two-outs and George Springer on third base. Brash didn't give up a hit, but Springer scored anyway on a wild pitch.
When Scherzer left the game in the sixth inning the Mariners got something going against reliever Mason Fluharty, and Eugenio Suarez's single scored Jorge Polanco. But Josh Naylor tried to go from first-to-third and was easily thrown out, ending the inning with pinch hitter Mitch Garver on deck.
Josh Naylor struck first with a fly ball that just sneaked over the outstretched glove of leaping centerfielder Daulton Varsho. But scoring first is no guarantee of ending the game ahead - these Mariners have scored first in all but one of their nine playoff games thus far.
Having won and lost homefield advantage, the Mariners need to win on Friday to avoid having to win two games in Toronto to advance to the World Series.
Though based on how things are going, they might have a better shot north of the border anyway.