Raleigh Hits Home Run as Seattle Mariners Stifle Toronto Blue Jays in Long-Awaited Return to AL Championship Series
Cal Raleigh blasted a home run, Jorge Polanco drove in the decisive run with a sixth-inning single, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Blue Jays 3-1 Sunday night as they returned to the ALCS for the first time in two dozen years.
Pitching Dominance on Display
George Springer homered on the opening delivery from Miller, who then escaped a two-on jam in a 27-delivery opening frame. Anthony Santander hit a single in the second for the Blue Jays' sole additional hit, and Seattle pitchers retired 23 out of the final 24 Toronto hitters. The pitching quartet joined forces to throw just 100 deliveries under two days after the Seattle team needed 209 pitches to outlast the Tigers over 15 innings.
Crucial Batting Moments
Raleigh, the major league home run leader with 60, tied the score in the sixth with his ninth homer in 14 appearances at Rogers Centre. Kevin Gausman had held batters to 0 for 16 on splitters in the playoffs before the home run by Raleigh.
Polanco hit a go-ahead single later in the inning and contributed an run-scoring single in the eighth inning.
“We are a resilient squad, as you know, from top to bottom,” Raleigh stated. “Our pitchers performed today, extremely impressive. 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 home victory over the Tigers to win the Division Series in the most extended decisive contest in MLB history.
Record Accomplishments
The Mariners, the sole MLB franchise to not have hosted a World Series game, limited Toronto to just two hits after the Blue Jays had 50 hits along with 34 runs in their four-game Division Series against the New York 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 securing the save.
“This will be a fiercely contested series, man,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “These guys will be ready for it.”
Springer’s 21st postseason home run broke a tie with the Derek Jeter of the Yankees, placing him alone in fifth position on the career list. Raleigh’s homer was his fourth in 15 at-bats against Kevin Gausman, who suffered the defeat.
Polanco, the hero of Friday's game, hit a single off Brendon Little to drive in Rodríguez, who was walked by the pitcher. Polanco added another RBI single against Seranthony Domínguez.
Notable Contest Highlights
Eugenio Suárez hit a double off the top of the right-field wall in the seventh inning against Varland. The 395-foot hit would have been a homer in half of MLB stadiums, including Seattle.
Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes exited in the fourth. Lukes bruised his right knee when he fouled a pitch off it in the first inning.
