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Cal Raleigh homered, Jorge Polanco drove in the winning run with a sixth-inning single, and the Mariners defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Sunday evening as they returned to the AL Championship Series for the initial occasion 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-pitch first inning. Anthony Santander hit a single in the second inning for Toronto’s only other hit, and Mariners pitchers retired 23 of the Blue Jays’ final 24 batters. Miller, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash and Andrés Muñoz combined to throw just 100 pitches under two days after the Mariners needed 209 throws to outplay Detroit over 15 innings.

Crucial Batting Plays

Raleigh, the major league home run leader with 60, evened the game in the sixth inning with his ninth homer in 14 games at the Toronto ballpark. Kevin Gausman had previously kept batters hitless on splitters in the playoffs before the home run by the catcher.

Polanco delivered a go-ahead base hit subsequently in the frame and added an run-scoring single in the eighth inning.

“We are a resilient squad, you know, from top to bottom,” Raleigh stated. “Pitchers came out today, really, really impressed us. They were outstanding. Especially short rest and the high pitch count the previous game.”

Seattle, the AL West titleholder traveled to Toronto, the AL East champion on the prior day after a 3-2 home victory over the Tigers to win the Division Series in the longest winner-take-all game in Major League Baseball history.

Record Accomplishments

The Mariners, the sole MLB franchise to never host a Fall Classic game, limited Toronto to just two hits after the Blue Jays had 50 hits and 34 runs in their four-game Division Series against the Yankees. Miller, the winner, struck out three and walked three in six innings, throwing 72 pitches. The bullpen trio each had perfect innings, with Muñoz getting the save.

“This will be a fiercely contested series, man,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider commented. “Our team will be prepared for it.”

Springer’s 21st postseason home run broke a tie with the Yankees’ Derek Jeter, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the career list. Raleigh's home run was his fourth in 15 at-bats against Kevin Gausman, who suffered the defeat.

Polanco, who had the game-ending single Friday, hit a single off Brendon Little to bring home Rodríguez, who was walked by Gausman. Polanco later added another run-scoring hit against Seranthony Domínguez.

Notable Contest Moments

Eugenio Suárez doubled off the top of the right-field wall in the seventh inning against Louis Varland. The 395-foot hit would have been a home run in 15 of 30 big league ballparks, including Seattle.

Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes left in the fourth inning. Lukes bruised his right knee when he fouled a ball into his knee in the first inning.