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Cal Raleigh blasted a home run, Jorge Polanco drove in the decisive run with a sixth-inning single, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Sunday evening as they returned to the ALCS for the initial occasion in two dozen years.

Pitching Mastery on Show

George Springer homered on the opening delivery from Miller, who then got out of 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 Seattle team needed 209 pitches to outlast the Tigers over 15 frames.

Crucial Batting Moments

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

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

“We’re a tough team, you know, from top to bottom,” Raleigh said. “Our pitchers performed today, extremely impressive. They did awesome. Especially short rest and how many pitches they threw the other day.”

Seattle, the AL West titleholder traveled to AL East winner Toronto on the prior day after a 3-2 home victory over the Detroit Tigers to claim the Division Series in the longest winner-take-all game in Major League Baseball history.

Historic Achievements

The Mariners, 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 Yankees. Miller, the winner, fanned three and issued three walks in six frames, throwing 72 deliveries. The bullpen trio each had perfect innings, with Muñoz getting the save.

“This will be a fiercely contested series, for sure,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider commented. “These guys will be ready for it.”

Springer's 21st playoff homer broke a tie with the Yankees’ Derek Jeter, placing him alone in fifth position on the career list. Raleigh's home run was his fourth in 15 appearances against Gausman, who suffered the defeat.

Polanco, the hero of Friday's game, hit a single off Brendon Little to drive in Rodríguez, who was issued a walk by Gausman. Polanco later added another run-scoring hit against Seranthony Domínguez.

Memorable Game 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 home run in 15 of 30 big league ballparks, including Seattle.

Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes left in the fourth inning. Lukes sustained a right knee bruise when he fouled a pitch off it in the first inning.