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Cal Raleigh blasted a home run, Jorge Polanco drove in the go-ahead run with a sixth frame single, and the Seattle Mariners overcame the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Sunday evening as they returned to the AL Championship Series for the initial occasion in 24 years.

Pitching Dominance on Display

George Springer homered on the first pitch from Miller, who then escaped a bases-threatening situation in a 27-delivery first inning. Anthony Santander hit a single in the second for Toronto’s sole additional hit, and Mariners pitchers set down 23 of the Blue Jays’ final 24 batters. Miller, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash and Andrés Muñoz combined to throw just 100 deliveries less than 48 hours after the Seattle team needed 209 throws to outlast Detroit over 15 frames.

Key Batting Moments

Raleigh, the major league home run leader with 60, tied the score in the sixth inning with his ninth home run in 14 games at Rogers Centre. Kevin Gausman had held batters to 0 for 16 on splitters in the playoffs before the home run by the catcher.

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

“We’re a tough team, you know, from top to bottom,” Raleigh said. “Pitchers came out today, extremely impressive. They did awesome. Especially short rest and the high pitch count the previous game.”

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 claim the Division Series in the longest winner-take-all game in MLB history.

Record Accomplishments

The Mariners, the sole MLB franchise to never host a Fall Classic game, limited Toronto to just two hits after the Toronto squad had 50 hits along with 34 runs in their four-game Division Series against the Yankees. Miller, the winner, fanned three and issued three walks in six innings, throwing 72 pitches. The three relievers each had 1-2-3 innings, with Muñoz getting the save.

“This will be a fiercely contested series, man,” Toronto manager John Schneider commented. “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 homer was his fourth in 15 appearances against Kevin Gausman, who suffered the defeat.

Polanco, who had the game-ending single Friday, hit a single off Brendon Little to drive in Rodríguez, who was walked by Gausman. Polanco added another RBI single against Domínguez.

Notable Game Highlights

Eugenio Suárez hit a double 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 15 of 30 big league ballparks, including Seattle.

Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes left in the fourth inning. Lukes bruised his right knee when he fouled a ball into his knee in the first inning.