The Seattle Mariners opened the ALCS with a composed and disciplined 3-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Sunday night, taking control of Game 1 behind timely hitting and a three-man bullpen clinic.
Toronto struck first on the very first pitch thrown by Bryce Miller. George Springer jumped a heater and drove it into the left-field seats, firing up the home crowd and giving the Blue Jays an instant 1-0 edge. Miller was shaky early, throwing 27 pitches in the first inning and navigating a two-on jam, but the right-hander locked in from there and gave Seattle exactly what they needed after a draining five-game ALDS.
The Blue Jays managed just one more hit the rest of the night, a second-inning single by Anthony Santander, before going completely silent against Seattle pitching. From that moment on, the Mariners retired 23 of the final 24 Toronto hitters, flipping early momentum into total control.
Seattle threatened in the top of the first inning after Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez reached base, but a sharp grounder by Jorge Polanco turned into an inning-ending out at the plate. The Mariners stayed patient and waited for their moment.
It finally came in the sixth. With Toronto starter Kevin Gausman cruising, Raleigh stepped in and changed the game with one violent swing. After Gausman had held hitters hitless on his splitter this postseason, Raleigh crushed a splitter that stayed up in the zone and launched a solo shot to right field to tie the game 1-1. It was Raleigh’s ninth home run in just 14 career games at Rogers Centre and his second of this postseason.
Moments later, after Rodríguez worked a two-out walk to chase Gausman from the game, Polanco delivered. Facing reliever Brendon Little, Polanco punched a go-ahead RBI single up the middle to score Rodríguez and give Seattle a 2-1 lead.
Polanco wasn’t finished. In the eighth inning, he came through again with another RBI single, this time off Seranthony Domínguez, giving Seattle breathing room as the bullpen handled the rest.
Miller finished his night with six strong innings, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out three. Seattle’s bullpen took it from there and was surgical. Gabe Speier, Matt Brash, and Andrés Muñoz each came on for an eight-pitch, 1-2-3 inning, with Muñoz slamming the door in the ninth for the save.
For a Toronto offense that erupted for 34 runs and 50 hits against the Yankees in the ALDS, the sudden silence was jarring. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who torched New York pitching in that series, went 0-for-4 with three groundouts.
This is going to be a hard-fought series, Toronto manager John Schneider said postgame. We will be ready for tomorrow.
Game 2 Preview
The series continues Monday night at Rogers Centre with a pivotal Game 2 matchup. Seattle is expected to hand the ball to veteran right-hander Luis Castillo, who has postseason experience and a power arsenal built for October. Toronto is likely to counter with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, a former Mariner who knows many of Seattle’s hitters well. With the Mariners looking to head back to Seattle up 2-0 and the Blue Jays desperate to avoid falling into an early series hole, Game 2 has all the makings of a tense October battle.