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Cal Raleigh blasted a home run, Jorge Polanco drove in the decisive run with a sixth-inning single, and the Mariners defeated the Blue Jays 3-1 on Sunday evening as they returned to the AL Championship Series for the first time in two dozen years.

Defensive Mastery on Display

George Springer homered on the first pitch from Bryce Miller, who then got out of a two-on jam in a 27-pitch first inning. Anthony Santander singled in the second inning for the Blue Jays' sole additional hit, and Seattle pitchers retired 23 of the Blue Jays’ final 24 batters. The pitching quartet joined forces to throw just 100 deliveries less than 48 hours after the Mariners needed 209 throws to outlast the Tigers over 15 frames.

Crucial Batting Moments

Raleigh, the major league home run leader with 60, evened the game in the sixth inning 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 home run by Raleigh.

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

“We are a resilient squad, as you know, one through nine,” Raleigh stated. “Our pitchers performed today, extremely impressive. They did awesome. Particularly on 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 Detroit 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 World Series game, limited Toronto to just two hits after the Toronto squad had 50 hits along with 34 runs in their four-game Division Series against the New York Yankees. Miller, the winner, fanned three and issued three walks in six frames, throwing 72 pitches. The bullpen trio each had 1-2-3 innings, with Muñoz getting the save.

“This will be a fiercely contested series, for sure,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “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 drive in Julio Rodríguez, who was issued a walk by Gausman. Polanco later added another run-scoring hit against Seranthony Domínguez.

Memorable Contest Moments

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 home run in half of MLB stadiums, Seattle’s field included.

Toronto outfielder Nathan Lukes exited in the fourth. Lukes bruised his right knee when he fouled a pitch off it in the opening frame.