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10/17 20:49 CDT Mariners a win from first World Series, beat Blue Jays behind
Surez's grand slam for 3-2 ALCS lead
Mariners a win from first World Series, beat Blue Jays behind Surez's grand
slam for 3-2 ALCS lead
By ANDREW DESTIN
AP Sports Writer
SEATTLE (AP) --- Eugenio Surez hit a go-ahead grand slam after Cal Raleigh's
tying drive in a five-run eighth inning, giving the Seattle Mariners a 6-2 win
over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday and a 3-2 lead in the American League
Championship Series.
Surez also homered in the second inning for Seattle's first run. The Mariners
became the first home team to win in the series and moved within a victory of
the first World Series trip for a franchise that started play in 1977.
Game 6 is at Toronto on Sunday night.
"For our fans, they've waiting a long time for this moment and we're here to
give it to them. We're here to fight for a World Series," Surez said.
Raleigh, a switch-hitting 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 pulling a 2-0 changeup from loser Brendon
Little.
The 348-foot drive rose 155 feet above the field on a high arc and had a
6.7-second hang time before it dropped over the left field wall at T-Mobile
Park, 348 feet from the plate. Raleigh's fourth homer of the postseason tied
the score 2-2.
"Obviously it was really high, so you never know in this building," Raleigh
said. "Luckily today the roof's closed."
Jorge Polanco and Josh Naylor walked, and Seranthony Domnguez relieved and hit
Randy Arozarena with a pitch.
Surez fouled off a 2-2 fastball, then hit an opposite-field drive to right,
and the ball landed several rows into the seats for his fourth slam this season.
"Obviously, this is the biggest home run of my career," Surez said.
Surez, who had put Seattle ahead in the second against Kevin Gausman, entered
the game in a 6-for-50 slump. He was acquired from Arizona at the trade
deadline, finished the regular season with 49 homers and has three in the
playoffs.
"I've been waiting for this for a long time," Surez said. "It's been a while
(since) I've had a game like this today. It was awesome being to hit that grand
slam there to give the win to my team, to the fans. They've been here
supporting us all year long."
Seattle's Bryce Miller was pitching shutout ball when he was removed after
allowing Addison Barger's leadoff single in the fifth, and George Springer hit
an RBI double off Matt Brash.
Springer left in the seventh when he was hit on the right kneecap by a 95.6 mph
sinker from Bryan Woo.
"He's got a right knee contusion. He had X-rays, which were negative, which is
a good thing.," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. "George is about as
tough as they come. I think he'll have to really, really be hurting to not be
in the lineup on Sunday."
Pitching for the first time since Sept. 19 after recovering from pectoral
tightness, Woo allowed Ernie Clement's go-ahead single in the sixth.
Toronto wasted many chances, going 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position.
Raleigh turned only the second 2-3 grounded double into play in postseason
history when Clement tapped the ball onto the plate with the bases loaded and
one out in the fourth inning. Raleigh grabbed the ball with a foot on the plate
for a forceout, then threw to first.
The prior 2-3 DP in Game 2 of the 2000 ALCS also was turned by a Seattle
catcher, Dan Wilson, now the Mariners manager.
Up next Rookie RHP Trey Yesavage, who started Game 2 of both the AL Division Series, will start for the Blue Jays in Game 6. The Mariners scored five runs off the 22-year-old on Monday. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
