Cal Raleigh Homers as Mariners Defeat Toronto Blue Jays in Long-Awaited Return to AL Championship Series
Cal Raleigh homered, Jorge Polanco delivered the go-ahead run with a sixth-inning single, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 Sunday night as they made their return to the ALCS for the initial occasion in 24 years.
Defensive Mastery on Display
George Springer homered on the opening delivery from Miller, who then escaped a bases-threatening situation in a 27-pitch opening frame. 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. The pitching quartet joined forces to throw just 100 deliveries under two days after the Mariners needed 209 pitches to outlast the Tigers over 15 innings.
Key Batting Moments
Raleigh, the major league home run leader with 60, evened the game in the sixth inning with his ninth home run in 14 games at the Toronto ballpark. Kevin Gausman had held batters to 0 for 16 on splitters in the postseason before the homer by the catcher.
Polanco delivered a go-ahead base hit subsequently in the frame and contributed an run-scoring single in the eighth.
“We are a resilient squad, you know, one through nine,” Raleigh said. “Pitchers came out today, extremely impressive. They did awesome. Particularly on short rest and how many pitches they threw the previous game.”
Seattle, the AL West titleholder journeyed to Toronto, the AL East champion on the prior day after a 3-2 win at home over the Tigers to win the Division Series in the longest winner-take-all game in MLB history.
Record Achievements
The Mariners, the only MLB team to not have hosted a Fall Classic game, held Toronto to two hits after the Toronto squad 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 deliveries. The bullpen trio each had 1-2-3 innings, with Muñoz getting the save.
“This is going to be a hard-fought series, for sure,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Our team will be prepared for it.”
Springer’s 21st postseason home run ended a tie with the Yankees’ Derek Jeter, placing him alone in fifth position on the all-time list. Raleigh’s homer was his fourth in 15 at-bats against Gausman, who suffered the defeat.
Polanco, the hero of Friday's game, hit a single off Brendon Little to drive in Julio RodrĂguez, who was walked by Gausman. Polanco added another RBI single against DomĂnguez.
Notable Game Moments
Eugenio Suárez doubled against the top of the right-field fence in the seventh against Varland. The 395-foot hit would have been a homer in half of MLB stadiums, Seattle’s field included.
Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes left in the fourth inning. Lukes bruised his right knee when he fouled a pitch off it in the opening frame.
