đź”— Share this article Raleigh Homers as Mariners Defeat Blue Jays in Long-Awaited Return to AL Championship Series Cal Raleigh blasted a home run, Jorge Polanco delivered the winning run with a sixth-inning single, and the Mariners defeated the Blue Jays 3-1 Sunday night as they returned to the ALCS for the first time in two dozen years. Defensive Mastery on Display George Springer homered on the first pitch from Miller, who then got out of a two-on jam in a 27-delivery opening frame. Anthony Santander hit a single in the second for the Blue Jays' sole additional hit, and Seattle pitchers set down 23 of the Blue Jays’ final 24 batters. Miller, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash and AndrĂ©s Muñoz combined to throw just 100 pitches less than 48 hours after the Seattle team needed 209 throws to outlast the Tigers over 15 innings. Key Offensive Plays Raleigh, who led the major leagues with 60 homers, tied the score in the sixth with his ninth homer in 14 appearances at Rogers Centre. Kevin Gausman had previously kept batters hitless on splitters in the playoffs before the homer by the catcher. Polanco hit a go-ahead single subsequently in the frame and added an RBI single in the eighth inning. “We are a resilient squad, you know, from top to bottom,” Raleigh stated. “Our pitchers performed today, extremely impressive. They were outstanding. Particularly on short rest and the high pitch count the other day.” Seattle, the AL West titleholder traveled to Toronto, the AL East champion on the prior day after a 3-2 home victory over the Detroit Tigers to win the Division Series in the longest winner-take-all game in Major League Baseball history. Historic Achievements The Mariners, the sole MLB franchise to not have hosted a Fall Classic game, held Toronto to two hits after the Blue Jays had 50 hits and 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 bullpen trio each had perfect innings, with Muñoz getting the save. “This is going to be a hard-fought series, man,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “These guys will be ready for it.” Springer’s 21st postseason home run ended 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 appearances against Gausman, who took the loss. Polanco, the hero of Friday's game, singled against Brendon Little to bring home Julio RodrĂguez, who was walked by Gausman. Polanco added another RBI single against Seranthony DomĂnguez. Memorable Contest Highlights Eugenio Suárez hit a double against the top of the right-field fence in the seventh inning against Varland. The 395-foot hit would have been a homer 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 opening frame.