đź”— Share this article Cal Raleigh Hits Home Run as Mariners Defeat Toronto Blue Jays in Much-Anticipated Return to ALCS Cal Raleigh homered, Jorge Polanco delivered the go-ahead run with a sixth-inning single, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Blue Jays 3-1 Sunday night as they returned to the AL Championship Series for the first time in two dozen years. Pitching Dominance on Display George Springer homered on the first pitch from Miller, who then escaped a two-on jam in a 27-pitch first inning. Anthony Santander hit a single in the second for the Blue Jays' sole additional hit, and Mariners pitchers retired 23 out of the final 24 Toronto hitters. The pitching quartet combined to throw just 100 deliveries under two days after the Mariners needed 209 pitches to outlast Detroit over 15 innings. Key Batting Moments Raleigh, the major league home run leader with 60, evened the game in the sixth with his ninth homer in 14 appearances at Rogers Centre. Kevin Gausman had held batters to 0 for 16 on splitters in the postseason before the homer by the catcher. Polanco hit a go-ahead single subsequently in the frame and added an RBI single in the eighth. “We’re a tough team, you know, one through nine,” Raleigh said. “Pitchers came out today, extremely impressive. 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 home victory over the Tigers to win the Division Series in the longest winner-take-all game in MLB history. Record Achievements Seattle, the sole MLB franchise to not have hosted a World Series game, held Toronto to two hits after the Blue Jays 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 deliveries. The three relievers each had 1-2-3 innings, with Muñoz getting the save. “This will be a fiercely contested series, for sure,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “These guys will be ready for it.” Springer’s 21st postseason home run ended a tie with the Derek Jeter of the Yankees, placing him alone in fifth position on the all-time list. Raleigh’s homer was his fourth in 15 at-bats against Kevin Gausman, who took the loss. Polanco, who had the game-ending single Friday, hit a single off Brendon Little to drive in RodrĂguez, who was issued a walk by Gausman. Polanco later added another run-scoring hit against Seranthony DomĂnguez. Notable Contest Moments Eugenio Suárez doubled off the top of the right-field wall in the seventh against Varland. The 395-foot hit would have been a home run in 15 of 30 big league ballparks, Seattle’s field included. Toronto outfielder Nathan Lukes left in the fourth inning. Lukes bruised his right knee when he fouled a pitch off it in the first inning.