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Cal Raleigh homered, Jorge Polanco delivered the winning run with a sixth-inning single, and the Mariners defeated the Blue Jays 3-1 on Sunday evening as they returned to the ALCS for the first time in 24 years.

Pitching Dominance on Show

George Springer launched a homer on the opening delivery from Miller, who then got out of a two-on jam in a 27-pitch opening frame. Anthony Santander singled in the second for Toronto’s only other hit, and Seattle pitchers retired 23 out of the final 24 Toronto hitters. Miller, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash and Andrés Muñoz combined to throw just 100 pitches less than 48 hours after the Mariners needed 209 throws to outlast Detroit over 15 frames.

Crucial Offensive 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 Rogers Centre. Kevin Gausman had previously kept batters hitless on splitters in the postseason before the home run by the catcher.

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

“We are a resilient squad, you know, from top to bottom,” Raleigh stated. “Pitchers came out today, extremely impressive. They were outstanding. Especially short rest and how many pitches they threw the other day.”

AL West champion Seattle journeyed to AL East winner Toronto on Saturday 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.

Historic Achievements

The Mariners, the sole MLB franchise to never host a World Series game, held Toronto to two hits after the Toronto squad 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 innings, 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, for sure,” Toronto manager John Schneider commented. “Our team will be prepared for it.”

Springer's 21st playoff homer ended a tie with the Derek Jeter of the Yankees, placing him alone in fifth position on the career list. Raleigh's home run was his fourth in 15 at-bats against Gausman, who took the loss.

Polanco, who had the game-ending single Friday, hit a single off Brendon Little to bring home Julio Rodríguez, who was issued a walk by Gausman. Polanco added another RBI single against Domínguez.

Notable Game Moments

Eugenio Suárez doubled against the top of the right-field fence in the seventh inning against Louis Varland. The 395-foot drive would have been a home run in half of MLB stadiums, Seattle’s field included.

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.