SEATTLE — Eugenio Suárez hit a grand slam after Cal Raleigh’s tying goal in a five-run eighth inning, giving the Seattle Mariners a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday and a 3-2 lead in the American League Championship Series.
Suárez also scored in the second inning for Seattle’s first run. The Mariners became the first home team to win in the series and earned the first trip to the World Series for a franchise that began play in 1977.
Game 6 will take place in Toronto on Sunday evening.
“Our fans have been waiting for this moment for a long time and we are here to give it to them. We are here to fight for the World Series,” Suárez said.
Raleigh, a catcher who led the major leagues with 60 home runs during the regular season, was hitting right-handed for the first time in the Series when he led off the eighth by throwing a 2-0 changeup against losing pitcher Brendon Little.
The 348-foot drive rose 155 feet above the field on a high arc and had a hang time of 6.7 seconds before falling over the left field wall at T-Mobile Park. Raleigh’s fourth homer of the postseason tied the score 2-2.
“Obviously it was very high, so you never know in that building,” Raleigh said. “Luckily today the roof is closed.”
Jorge Polanco and Josh Naylor walked, and Seranthony Dominguez relieved and hit Randy Arozarena with a pitch.
Suárez fouled a 2-2 fastball, then hit an opposite-field shot to right, and the ball landed several rows into the seats for his fourth slam this season.
“It’s obviously the biggest home run of my career,” Suárez said.
Suárez, who had given Seattle the lead in the second half against Kevin Gausman, entered the game 6 for 50. He was acquired from Arizona at the trade deadline, finished the regular season with 49 home runs and had three in the postseason.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Suárez said. “It’s been a while [since] I had a game like this today. It was great to be [able] achieve this grand slam there to give victory to my team, to the fans. They are there to support us all year round. »
Seattle’s Bryce Miller was pitching a shutout when he was pulled after allowing Addison Barger’s leadoff single in the fifth, and George Springer hit an RBI double against Matt Brash.
Springer left in the seventh when he was hit in the right kneecap by a 95.6 mph sinker from Bryan Woo. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said he was dealing with a bruised right knee.
Pitching for the first time since September 19 after recovering from pectoral tightness, Woo allowed Ernie Clement’s go-ahead run in the sixth.
Toronto wasted numerous chances, going 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position.
Raleigh completed only the second 2-3 grounding double play in postseason history when Clement tapped the ball to home plate with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth inning. Raleigh caught the ball with one foot at the plate for a force out, then threw it to first.
The previous 2-3 DP in Game 2 of the 2000 ALCS was also converted by a Seattle catcher, Dan Wilson, now the Mariners manager.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
