Cal Raleigh Hits Home Run as Mariners Defeat Blue Jays in Long-Awaited Comeback to ALCS
Cal Raleigh blasted a home run, Jorge Polanco drove in the go-ahead run with a sixth-inning single, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Sunday evening as they returned to the ALCS for the initial occasion in two dozen years.
Pitching Mastery on Display
George Springer homered on the opening delivery from Bryce Miller, who then got out of a bases-threatening situation in a 27-delivery first inning. Anthony Santander singled in the second inning for the Blue Jays' sole additional hit, and Seattle pitchers set down 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 throws to outlast Detroit over 15 innings.
Crucial Offensive Moments
Raleigh, the major league home run leader with 60, tied the score in the sixth with his ninth home run in 14 appearances at the Toronto ballpark. Kevin Gausman had held batters to 0 for 16 on splitters in the playoffs before the home run by Raleigh.
Polanco delivered a go-ahead base hit later in the inning and added an RBI single in the eighth.
“We’re a tough team, you know, one through nine,” Raleigh stated. “Pitchers came out today, extremely impressive. They did awesome. Especially short rest and how many pitches they threw the other day.”
AL West champion Seattle traveled to AL East winner Toronto on Saturday after a 3-2 home victory over the Detroit Tigers to claim the Division Series in the longest winner-take-all game in Major League Baseball history.
Historic Achievements
The Mariners, the sole MLB franchise to never host a Fall Classic game, limited Toronto to just two hits after the Blue Jays had 50 hits and 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 deliveries. 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. “These guys will be ready for it.”
Springer's 21st playoff homer ended a tie with the Yankees’ Derek Jeter, placing him alone in fifth position on the all-time list. Raleigh's home run was his fourth in 15 at-bats against Kevin Gausman, who took the loss.
Polanco, the hero of Friday's game, hit a single off Brendon Little to drive in Rodríguez, who was walked by Gausman. Polanco later added another run-scoring hit against Domínguez.
Notable Game 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 15 of 30 big league ballparks, including Seattle.
Toronto outfielder Nathan Lukes left in the fourth inning. Lukes sustained a right knee bruise when he fouled a ball into his knee in the opening frame.
