Cal Raleigh blasted a home run, Jorge Polanco drove in the decisive run with a sixth-inning single, and the Seattle Mariners defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Sunday evening as they returned to the AL Championship Series for the first time in two dozen years.
Pitching Mastery on Display
George Springer launched a homer on the first pitch from Bryce Miller, who then escaped a bases-threatening situation in a 27-delivery first inning. Anthony Santander singled in the second for the Blue Jays' sole additional hit, and Seattle pitchers set down 23 of the Blue Jays’ final 24 batters. The pitching quartet combined to throw just 100 deliveries under two days after the Mariners needed 209 pitches to outlast the Tigers over 15 innings.
Crucial Offensive Plays
Raleigh, the major league home run leader with 60, tied the score in the sixth with his ninth home run in 14 appearances at Rogers Centre. Kevin Gausman had previously kept batters hitless on splitters in the postseason before the homer by Raleigh.
Polanco delivered a go-ahead base hit later in the inning and contributed an run-scoring single in the eighth.
“We’re a tough team, as you know, from top to bottom,” Raleigh stated. “Our pitchers performed today, really, really impressed us. They did awesome. Especially short rest and how many pitches they threw the other day.”
AL West champion Seattle traveled to Toronto, the AL East champion on the prior day after a 3-2 win at home over the Tigers to claim the Division Series in the most extended decisive contest in Major League Baseball history.
Record Accomplishments
Seattle, the only MLB team to not have hosted a World Series game, limited Toronto to just two hits after the Toronto squad had 50 hits and 34 runs in their four-game Division Series against the Yankees. Miller, who earned the win, fanned three and issued three walks in six innings, throwing 72 pitches. The bullpen trio each had perfect innings, with Muñoz securing the save.
“This will be a fiercely contested series, for sure,” Toronto manager John Schneider commented. “These guys will be ready for it.”
Springer’s 21st postseason home run ended a tie with the Yankees’ Derek Jeter, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time list. Raleigh’s homer was his fourth in 15 appearances against Kevin Gausman, who took the loss.
Polanco, who had the game-ending single Friday, hit a single off Brendon Little to drive in Julio Rodríguez, who was issued a walk by Gausman. Polanco later added another run-scoring hit against Seranthony Domínguez.
Memorable Game Highlights
Eugenio Suárez doubled off the top of the right-field wall in the seventh against Louis Varland. The 395-foot drive would have been a home run in 15 of 30 big league ballparks, including Seattle.
Toronto outfielder Nathan Lukes exited in the fourth. Lukes bruised his right knee when he fouled a pitch off it in the first inning.