The Seattle Mariners aren’t just in the ALCS. They showed in Game 1 that they mean business.

The AL West champion Mariners came back from an initial deficit for a 3-1 win over the Blue Jays, stealing the first game on the road at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on Sunday night.

Seattle Mariners 3, Toronto Blue Jays 1: Instant reaction | Box score

It’s the Mariners’ first trip to the ALCS in 24 years, but led by Bryce Miller, Cal Raleigh and Jorge Polanco, they showed the AL East champion and top-seeded Blue Jays that they belong playing for a spot in the World Series that would be the first in Seattle history.

The Mariners endured five scoreless innings against Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman to begin the game, but they turned it around in the sixth. And the hitters in the middle of it were the same ones who made the biggest difference in their ALDS win over the Detroit Tigers.

First, noted Blue Jays killer Raleigh left the ballpark for the 62nd time in 2025, crushing a 2-2 splitter for a 420-foot solo homer to tie the game at 1-1.

Cal Raleigh’s 62nd home run of 2025 🚀#ALCS pic.twitter.com/C8UMi5opSK

— MLB (@MLB) October 13, 2025

Gausman’s night then ended following a walk drawn by Julio Rodríguez, with Toronto manager John Schneider opting to bring in lefty Brendon Little to face the switch-hitting Jorge Polanco. That flipped Polanco over to the right side of the plate, where he’s been on a tear lately, and that tear continued as he brought home Rodríguez with a single to left to give Seattle the lead.

Jorge Polanco puts the @Mariners in front! #ALCS pic.twitter.com/5i3pnUa6Z1

— MLB (@MLB) October 13, 2025

Polanco, who had a two-homer game and hit the series-clinching walk-off single in the ALDS, added another RBI single to right in the eighth for a valuable insurance run.

Randy Arozarena scored that run after leading off the inning with a walk and stealing both second and third. That all came after he made a nifty grab to end the bottom of the seventh.

Randy Arozarena set up that @Mariners run by stealing TWO bags! #ALCS pic.twitter.com/V1ggK2lR5I

— MLB (@MLB) October 13, 2025

It hadn’t looked all that promising for Seattle’s offense before Raleigh hit his second blast of the postseason.

Raleigh and Rodríguez each had a one-out single in the first, but Raleigh was thrown out at home after he broke from third base on a grounder by Polanco to Toronto third baseman Addison Barger. That looked like a missed opportunity as the Mariners found themselves trailing by a run pretty much immediately after that.

Longtime Mariners nemesis and postseason hero George Springer greeted Miller with a first-pitch homer to lead off for the Blue Jays.

GEORGE SPRINGER ON THE FIRST PITCH! #ALCS pic.twitter.com/IoNEKrf4lJ

— MLB (@MLB) October 13, 2025

Miller, who was working on short rest having pitched last Wednesday at Detroit, labored through a 27-pitch first inning but was able to keep the Blue Jays from adding on after Springer’s shot.

And then he took over.

The third-year right-hander went six innings, limiting Toronto to two hits and three walks while striking out three to give his offense the chance to come back. He retired 13 in a row at one point.

The Mariners needed everything they could get out of Miller after Friday’s 15-inning marathon ALDS Game 5 win where all hands were on deck from the pitching staff, and Miller more than delivered.

Bryce Miller is pitching on just 3 days rest.

He’s retired 17 of his last 19 batters faced! #ALCS pic.twitter.com/8ItxHXJK88

— MLB (@MLB) October 13, 2025

Gabe Speier and Matt Brash earned holds with each throwing a scoreless inning of work.

Andrés Muñoz had the save with a perfect ninth inning as the Blue Jays, who were the best hitting team in baseball in 2025, were limited to just two hits total on the night.

Game 2 will be at 2:03 p.m. Monday, with radio coverage on Seattle Sports beginning with extended pregame at noon. The TV broadcast will be on FOX.

The best-of-seven series will shift to Seattle’s T-Mobile Park for Game 3 at 5:08 p.m. Wednesday.

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