TORONTO — Cal Raleigh homered, Jorge Polanco drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the sixth inning and the Seattle Mariners defeated 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 of Bryce Miller, who then escaped a two-on jam in a 27-pitch first inning.
Anthony Santander singled in the second inning for Toronto’s only other hit, and Seattle’s pitchers retired 23 of the Blue Jays’ last 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 for more than 15 innings.
Raleigh, who led the Major Leagues with 60 home runs, tied the score in the sixth with his ninth home run in 14 games at Rogers Center. Kevin Gausman had held batters to 0 for 16 on splitters in the postseason before Raleigh’s home run.
Polanco hit a go-ahead single later in the inning and added an RBI single in the eighth.
“We’re a strong team, you know, from one through nine,” Raleigh said. “The pitchers came out today and really impressed us. They did a great job. Especially the short rests and the number of 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 never to host a World Series game, held Toronto to two hits after the Blue Jays scored 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.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from Toronto went 9 for 17 with three home runs and nine RBIs against the Yankees, but finished 0 for 4 with three groundouts on Sunday.
“This is going to be a hard-fought series, man,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “These guys will be ready.”
Springer’s 21st postseason home run broke a tie with the Yankees’ Derek Jeter for sole possession of fifth place on the career list.
Raleigh’s home run was his fourth in 15 at bats against Gausman, who took the loss.
Polanco, who had the game-ending single on Friday, singled against Brendon Little to bring in Julio Rodríguez, who walked from Gausman.
Polanco added another RBI single against Seranthony Domínguez.
Eugenio Suárez doubled off the top of the rightfield wall in the seventh against Louis Varland. The 370-foot drive would have been a home run in 15 of the 30 major league ballparks, including Seattle.
Toronto outfielder Nathan Lukes left in the fourth inning. Lukes bruised his right knee when he fouled a pitch in the first inning.
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