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Cal Raleigh blasted a home run, Jorge Polanco drove in the winning run with a sixth frame 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 Show

George Springer launched a homer on the opening delivery from Miller, who then got out of a bases-threatening situation in a 27-delivery opening frame. Anthony Santander singled in the second for the Blue Jays' sole additional hit, and Mariners pitchers retired 23 of the Blue Jays’ final 24 batters. The pitching quartet combined to throw just 100 pitches under two days after the Mariners needed 209 pitches to outlast Detroit over 15 innings.

Key Batting Moments

Raleigh, who led the major leagues with 60 homers, evened the game in the sixth with his ninth homer in 14 appearances at the Toronto ballpark. Kevin Gausman had previously kept batters hitless on splitters in the playoffs before the homer by the catcher.

Polanco hit a go-ahead single subsequently in the frame and contributed an RBI single in the eighth inning.

“We’re a tough team, as you know, from top to bottom,” Raleigh stated. “Our pitchers performed today, really, really impressed us. They were outstanding. Especially short rest and how many pitches they threw the previous game.”

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

Record Accomplishments

Seattle, the only MLB team to never host a Fall Classic game, limited Toronto to just two hits after the Toronto squad had 50 hits and 34 runs in their four-game playoff series against the Yankees. Miller, the winner, struck out three and walked three in six frames, throwing 72 deliveries. The three relievers each had 1-2-3 innings, with Muñoz securing the save.

“This is going to be a hard-fought series, man,” 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 career list. Raleigh’s homer was his fourth in 15 at-bats against Gausman, who took the loss.

Polanco, who had the game-ending single Friday, singled against Brendon Little to bring home Rodríguez, who was issued a walk by the pitcher. Polanco later added another run-scoring hit against Domínguez.

Notable Contest Highlights

Eugenio Suárez hit a double off the top of the right-field wall in the seventh inning against Louis Varland. The 395-foot hit would have been a homer in half of MLB stadiums, including Seattle.

Toronto outfielder Nathan Lukes exited in the fourth. Lukes bruised his right knee when he fouled a ball into his knee in the first inning.