TORONTO — Two nights after that 15-inning marathon that got them here, the Seattle Mariners dug deep again and found more late magic, stunning the Toronto Blue Jays 3–1 in the opener of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre.
Seattle looked anything but jet-lagged. Catcher Cal Raleigh erased an early Toronto lead with a solo home run in the sixth, and Jorge Polanco drove in two runs with a pair of clutch singles, quieting the packed Canadian crowd and inching the Mariners one win closer to their first World Series berth in franchise history.
The win means the Mariners lead the best-of-seven, with Game 2 set for Monday afternoon.
Right-hander Bryce Miller, working on short rest, gave Seattle exactly what it needed — six innings of grit. He scattered two hits, walked three, struck out three, and limited the Jays to a single run, a leadoff homer by George Springer on the very first pitch of the night. Springer’s blast, a 97-mph fastball launched to right, was the first postseason leadoff home run in Toronto history and the first to open a Game 1 since Kyle Schwarber’s in the 2023 NLCS.
After that, Miller settled down. His fastball had late life, and his tempo kept Toronto off balance. “The year didn’t go how I’d planned,” he told reporters, “but we’re in the ALCS and I just wanted to set the tone.” He did exactly that.
For five innings, Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman looked untouchable. He retired 15 straight hitters at one point and needed only four pitches to breeze through the fifth. Then came the sixth.
After striking out Randy Arozarena to start the frame, Gausman left a splitter a touch too high, and Raleigh drilled it into the right-field seats to tie the game. It was Raleigh’s ninth career homer in that ballpark — a building that seems to bring out his best swings — and his 62nd total of the year including the regular season.
Moments later, Julio Rodríguez drew a walk, moved up on a wild pitch, and trotted home when Polanco lashed a single to left to give Seattle a 2–1 lead. Gausman, visibly frustrated, exited after that at-bat.
Seattle’s bullpen handled the rest with ruthless efficiency. In the eighth, the Mariners added insurance when Arozarena walked, stole two bases, and scored on Polanco’s second RBI single. From there, Andrés Muñoz closed it out with a quick ninth inning, completing three combined scoreless frames from the relief corps — on just 24 total pitches.
Afterward, Raleigh summed up the team’s vibe: “Everybody was loose, just hanging out and enjoying it. That’s what it’s like in playoff baseball.”
What It Means for Dodgers Fans
From the Dodgers’ perspective, this ALCS carries huge implications.
If Seattle wins the pennant, Los Angeles would open the World Series at home in Chavez Ravine thanks to a better regular-season record.
If Toronto comes back to take the series, the Dodgers would start the Fall Classic on the road in Canada.
Either way, this Game 1 hinted at how dangerous Seattle can be — resilient pitching, timely hitting, and a deep bullpen that doesn’t blink under pressure. For now, Dodgers fans can watch the rest of the ALCS knowing the outcome will determine not just the opponent, but where the World Series begins.
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