Cal Raleigh homers, Jorge Polanco drives in 2 runs as Mariners beat Blue Jays in ALCS opener

TORONTO — Cal Raleigh homered, 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 night as they returned to the AL Championship Series for the first time in 24 years.

George Springer homered on the first pitch from Bryce Miller, who then escaped a two-on jam in a 27-pitch first inning.

Anthony Santander singled in the second for Toronto’s only other hit, and Seattle pitchers retired 23 of the Blue Jays’ final 24 batters. Miller, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash and Andrés Muñoz combined to throw just 100 pitches less than 48 hours after the Mariners needed 209 pitches to outlast Detroit over 15 innings.

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

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

“We’re a tough team, you know, one through nine,” Raleigh said. “Pitchers came out today, really, really impressed us. 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 Tigers to win the Division Series in the longest winner-take-all game in Major League Baseball history.

Seattle, the only MLB team to never host a World Series game, held Toronto to 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, struck out three and walked three in six innings, throwing 72 pitches. The three relievers each had 1-2-3 innings, with Muñoz getting the save.

Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 9 for 17 with three homers and nine RBIs against the Yankees but finished 0 for 4 Sunday with three groundouts.

“This is going to be a hard-fought series, man,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “These guys will be ready for it.”

Springer’s 21st postseason home run broke a tie with the Yankees’ Derek Jeter, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the career list.

Raleigh’s homer was his fourth in 15 at-bats against Gausman, who took the loss.

Polanco, who had the game-ending single Friday, singled against Brendon Little to drive in Julio Rodríguez, who was walked by Gausman.

Polanco added another RBI single against Seranthony Domínguez.

Eugenio Suárez doubled of the top of the right-field wall in the seventh against Louis Varland. The 395-foot drive would have been a homer in 15 of 30 big league ballparks, including Seattle.

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.

Up next

Blue Jays RHP Trey Yesavage will start Game 2 on Sunday. In his fourth big league appearance and first postseason start, Yesavage set a Blue Jays postseason record by striking out 11 Yankees in 5 1/3 hitless innings in Division Series Game 2 on Oct. 4. RHP Logan Gilbert will start for the Mariners, two days after throwing 34 pitches over two innings.