Miller's strong starting pitching stifles Blue Jays' lineup; Mariners take 3-1 lead in ALCS opener

The MLB postseason American League Division Series began today (13th), with the Seattle Mariners winning their first game on the road 3-1 over the Toronto Blue Jays, securing an early series lead.

Mariners' starting pitcher Bryce Miller delivered an impressive performance. After just three days of rest, he overcame a tough first inning and pitched six innings, allowing only two hits and striking out three. His only run allowed came in the first inning from a solo home run by George Springer. Offensively, in the sixth inning, Cal Raleigh hit a game-tying solo homer, followed by a crucial hit from Julio Rodríguez that put the Mariners ahead. Seattle ultimately won 3-1, taking the early advantage in the best-of-seven series.

At the start of the game, Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman faced trouble in the first inning. After consecutive hits by Raleigh and Rodríguez put runners on first and third, he managed to induce an infield grounder from Jorge Polanco that prevented a run, then got Josh Naylor out to escape the jam.

Blue Jays leadoff hitter Springer was explosive, acting as the offensive catalyst in his first at-bat by smashing the very first pitch from Miller over the right-field home run wall, instantly energizing the home crowd. Following that, Nathan Lukes battled Miller for 12 pitches before earning a walk. With one out, Addison Barger also walked, creating a promising scoring opportunity, but the Blue Jays failed to capitalize beyond that single run in the opening inning.

A minor incident occurred in the bottom of the second. Mariners right fielder Victor Robles, with one out, pulled out a cheat sheet from his pocket to check opponent data. At that moment, Anthony Santander hit a single to right field, and Robles, distracted, missed the catch, allowing Santander to advance to second base. Fortunately, Miller remained composed and successfully navigated the situation.

In the following innings, both pitchers gradually took control, neither side yielding. The game shifted again in the sixth inning when Raleigh connected perfectly on a low forkball from Gausman, sending a solo home run over the left-field wall to tie the game. Rodríguez then drew a walk to get on base. The Blue Jays brought in Brendon Little for relief, but he immediately threw a wild pitch and then gave up a hit to Polanco, allowing the Mariners to score the go-ahead run and take the lead.

In the top of the eighth, the Mariners extended their lead with two walks and a clutch hit from Polanco. Andrés Muñoz closed the game in the ninth inning, securing the victory. The Mariners defeated the Blue Jays 3-1 to take the first win in the series.

Game two will continue tomorrow (14th) at 5:03 AM at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays are expected to start 22-year-old Trey Yesavage, while the Mariners have yet to announce their starting pitcher.