đź”— Share this article Raleigh Homers as Mariners Defeat Blue Jays in Long-Awaited Return to ALCS Cal Raleigh homered, Jorge Polanco drove in the winning run with a sixth frame single, and the Seattle Mariners overcame the Blue Jays 3-1 Sunday night as they returned to the ALCS for the initial occasion in two dozen years. Pitching Dominance on Show George Springer launched a homer on the opening delivery from Bryce Miller, who then got out of a bases-threatening situation in a 27-pitch opening frame. Anthony Santander singled in the second for the Blue Jays' sole additional hit, and Mariners pitchers set down 23 of the Blue Jays’ final 24 batters. The pitching quartet combined to throw just 100 deliveries less than 48 hours after the Seattle team needed 209 throws to outlast the Tigers over 15 frames. Key Offensive Moments Raleigh, the major league home run leader with 60, evened the game in the sixth inning with his ninth home run in 14 games at the Toronto ballpark. Kevin Gausman had previously kept batters hitless on splitters in the postseason before the home run by the catcher. Polanco delivered a go-ahead base hit later in the inning 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, really, really impressed us. They were outstanding. Particularly on short rest and how many pitches they threw the previous game.” AL West champion Seattle journeyed to Toronto, the AL East champion on the prior day after a 3-2 home victory over the Detroit Tigers to claim the Division Series in the most extended decisive contest in Major League Baseball history. Record Achievements The Mariners, the only MLB team to not have hosted a World Series game, limited Toronto to just two hits after the Toronto squad had 50 hits along with 34 runs in their four-game playoff series against the New York Yankees. Miller, who earned the win, fanned three and issued three walks in six frames, throwing 72 pitches. The three relievers each had perfect innings, with Muñoz getting the save. “This will be a fiercely contested series, man,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “Our team will be prepared for it.” Springer's 21st playoff homer ended 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 at-bats against Kevin Gausman, who suffered the defeat. Polanco, who had the game-ending single Friday, hit a single off Brendon Little to drive in Julio RodrĂguez, who was issued a walk by Gausman. Polanco later added another run-scoring hit against DomĂnguez. Notable Contest Highlights 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 homer in half of MLB stadiums, Seattle’s field included. Toronto outfielder Nathan Lukes exited in the fourth. Lukes bruised his right knee when he fouled a ball into his knee in the opening frame.