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Cal Raleigh blasted a home run, Jorge Polanco delivered the decisive run with a sixth frame single, and the Seattle Mariners defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 Sunday night as they returned to the AL Championship Series for the initial occasion in 24 years.

Pitching Mastery on Show

George Springer homered on the first pitch from Bryce Miller, who then escaped a bases-threatening situation in a 27-delivery first inning. Anthony Santander hit a single in the second for the Blue Jays' sole additional hit, and Seattle pitchers retired 23 of the Blue Jays’ final 24 batters. The pitching quartet combined to throw just 100 deliveries under two days after the Seattle team needed 209 pitches to outplay the Tigers over 15 frames.

Crucial Offensive Plays

Raleigh, who led the major leagues with 60 homers, tied the score in the sixth with his ninth homer in 14 games at the Toronto ballpark. Kevin Gausman had held batters to 0 for 16 on splitters in the playoffs before the homer by Raleigh.

Polanco hit a go-ahead single later in the inning and contributed an run-scoring single in the eighth inning.

“We are a resilient squad, as you know, from top to bottom,” Raleigh stated. “Pitchers came out today, really, really impressed us. They were outstanding. Particularly on short rest and how many pitches they threw the other day.”

AL West champion Seattle traveled to Toronto, the AL East champion on the prior day after a 3-2 win at home 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 only MLB team to never host a World Series game, limited Toronto to just two hits after the Toronto squad had 50 hits and 34 runs in their four-game Division Series against the Yankees. Miller, who earned the win, struck out three and walked three in six frames, throwing 72 deliveries. The three relievers each had perfect innings, with Muñoz securing the save.

“This will be a fiercely contested series, for sure,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider commented. “Our team will be prepared for it.”

Springer’s 21st postseason home run broke 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 appearances against Gausman, who suffered the defeat.

Polanco, the hero of Friday's game, singled against Brendon Little to bring home Rodríguez, who was walked by the pitcher. Polanco later added another run-scoring hit against Domínguez.

Memorable Game Highlights

Eugenio Suárez doubled off the top of the right-field wall in the seventh against Louis Varland. The 395-foot hit would have been a homer 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 ball into his knee in the opening frame.