Hot offence runs cold as Blue Jays fall to Mariners in ALCS opener

TORONTO — George Springer did his best to set the early tone for the American League Championship Series on Sunday.

It would be the lone offensive spark on a disappointing night for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Springer hit a leadoff homer off Bryce Miller but the Seattle Mariners shut down the Blue Jays from there in a 3-1 victory at Rogers Centre.

“I thought we took some good swings and hit some balls at people a little bit,” said Toronto manager John Schneider. “(We) didn’t have a whole lot of batted ball luck, if you want to call it that.”

Cal Raleigh hit a game-tying homer in the sixth inning and Jorge Polanco had a pair of RBI singles to help the Mariners strike first in the best-of-seven series.

Game 2 was scheduled for Monday afternoon at Rogers Centre.

“This is going to be a hard-fought series, man,” Schneider said. “These guys will be ready for it.”

A sellout crowd of 44,474 was vocal from the start, hoping the host side would continue its offensive onslaught after averaging 8.5 runs a game against New York in the division series.

It felt like there would be some carry-over after Springer launched his first-pitch blast. Nathan Lukes followed by working a 12-pitch walk but Miller — who was pitching on short rest — survived the 26-pitch frame and settled in from there.

An Anthony Santander single in the second inning would be the Blue Jays’ only other hit as their six-game home winning streak came to an end.

“It’s a tough team and they were the second-best team in the AL for a reason,” said Blue Jays outfielder Davis Schneider.

Toronto starter Kevin Gausman retired 15 batters in a row before Raleigh — Seattle’s 60-homer slugger — launched a 420-foot blast to tie the game.

Gausman was pulled after a two-out walk to Julio Rodriguez. Brendon Little came on and gave up an RBI single to Polanco, who also drove in Randy Arozarena with an insurance run in the eighth.

“I had the game right there,” Gausman said. “This one’s on me.”

Andres Munoz worked a clean ninth inning for the save.

Unlike recent games where the eardrum-splitting music was pounding in the Toronto locker-room, players instead quietly milled about talking in hushed tones.

At times, the only noticeable sounds came from clubhouse attendants scraping dirt off of cleats and the water hitting the nearby shower floor.

It was a short turnaround for the Mariners, who arrived in Toronto late Saturday after a 15-inning Game 5 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday.

“I think we’ve talked about just how resilient these guys are, and tonight was one of those instances again,” said Mariners manager Dan Wilson. “Great job all around.”

Lukes was removed from the game in the fourth inning with a right knee contusion. He fouled a ball off his leg in the opening frame. A CT scan came back negative for a fracture, his manager said.

Rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage was scheduled to start Game 2. The Mariners tabbed Logan Gilbert, who threw in relief on Friday.

The series will shift to Seattle’s T-Mobile Park for Game 3 on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Toronto right-handers Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt were named to the roster after sitting out the division series.

They replaced relievers Tommy Nance and Justin Bruihl. Shortstop Bo Bichette remained out with a left knee sprain.

The Blue Jays are making their first ALCS appearance since 2016. It’s Seattle’s first trip to baseball’s final four since 2001.

Toronto hasn’t won the World Series since 1993.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2025.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press