Cal Raleigh Hits Home Run as Seattle Mariners Defeat Blue Jays in Long-Awaited Return to AL Championship Series
Cal Raleigh homered, Jorge Polanco drove in the go-ahead run with a sixth frame single, and the Mariners overcame the Blue Jays 3-1 on Sunday evening as they returned to the ALCS for the first time in two dozen years.
Pitching Dominance on Show
George Springer homered on the opening delivery from Bryce Miller, who then escaped a two-on jam in a 27-delivery first inning. Anthony Santander hit a single in the second inning for the Blue Jays' only other hit, and Mariners pitchers set down 23 of the Blue Jays’ final 24 batters. The pitching quartet joined forces to throw just 100 deliveries less than 48 hours after the Seattle team needed 209 pitches to outplay Detroit over 15 frames.
Crucial Batting Plays
Raleigh, the major league home run leader with 60, tied the score 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 postseason before the homer by the catcher.
Polanco hit a go-ahead single subsequently in the frame and added an run-scoring single in the eighth.
“We are a resilient squad, you know, from top to bottom,” Raleigh stated. “Pitchers came out today, really, really impressed us. They did awesome. Particularly on short rest and how many pitches they threw 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 claim 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 Toronto squad 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 frames, throwing 72 pitches. The bullpen trio each had 1-2-3 innings, with Muñoz securing the save.
“This will be a fiercely contested series, man,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “Our team will be prepared for it.”
Springer’s 21st postseason home run broke a tie with the Derek Jeter of the Yankees, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the career list. Raleigh's home run was his fourth in 15 appearances against Gausman, who took the loss.
Polanco, the hero of Friday's game, singled against Brendon Little to bring home Julio Rodríguez, who was issued a walk by Gausman. Polanco added another RBI single against Domínguez.
Memorable Contest Highlights
Eugenio Suárez doubled off the top of the right-field wall in the seventh inning against Louis Varland. The 395-foot drive would have been a home run in 15 of 30 big league ballparks, 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 first inning.