Eugenio Suárez’s grand slam powers Mariners to Game 5 win, brink of World Series

Eugenio Suárez hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning after Cal Raleigh tied the game with a solo home run, powering the Seattle Mariners past the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 on Friday night and giving Seattle a 3-2 lead in the American League Championship Series.

Suárez, who also homered in the second inning, drove a full-count pitch into the left-field seats as a sold-out T-Mobile Park crowd erupted.

His two-homer, five-RBI performance helped the Mariners become the first home team to win in the series and move within one victory of the franchise’s first World Series appearance since joining Major League Baseball in 1977.

Raleigh started the rally in the bottom of the eighth with his third home run of the postseason, tying the game at 2-2.

After a single and two walks loaded the bases, Suárez delivered the decisive blow against Toronto’s bullpen.

The Blue Jays had led since the fourth inning but couldn’t hold off Seattle’s late surge.

Mariners relievers combined for three shutout innings to secure the win.

The best-of-seven series now shifts back to Canada for Game 6 on Sunday night at Rogers Centre, where the Mariners can clinch their long-awaited World Series berth.

According to baseball-reference.com, on Oct. 7, 1995, the Seattle Mariners played the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the ALDS.

In the 8th inning, Jay Buhner hit a solo home run, followed by an Edgar Martinez grand slam. The Mariners won 11-8.

LIVE UPDATES

6:11 p.m. - Top of 9 - Kiner-Falefa flies out. Giménez flies out. Loperfido grounds out. 6-2 Mariners

6:04 p.m. - Bottom of 8 - Brendon Little replaces Louis Varland. Raleigh home run! 2-2! Polanco walks. Naylor walks. Seranthony Domínguez replaces Brendon Little. Arozarena hit by pitch. Bases loaded. Suárez GRAND SLAM! 6-2 Mariners. Crawford flies out. Canzone grounds out. Rivas grounds out. 6-2 Mariners

5:43 p.m. - Top of 8 - Gabe Speier replaces Bryan Woo. Varsho pops out. Clement flies out. Pinch-hitter Myles Straw replaces Addison Barger. Straw flies out. 2-1 Blue Jays

5:37 p.m. - Bottom of 7 - Canzone strikes out. Rivas flies out. Rodríguez strikes out. 2-1 Blue Jays

5:27 p.m. - Top of 7 - Giménez grounds out. Springer hit by pitch on his right knee cap. Pinch-runner Joey Loperfido replaces Springer. Lukes grounds out, Loperfido moves to 2nd. Guerrero Jr. intentionally walked, runners on 1st and 2nd. Kirk grounds out. 2-1 Blue Jays

5:15 p.m. - Bottom of 6 - Polanco grounds out. Naylor grounds out. Arozarena walks. Louis Varland replaces Kevin Gausman. Suárez walks. Crawford grounds out. 2-1 Blue Jays

5:01 p.m. - Top of 6 - Bryan Woo replaces Matt Brash. Kirk doubles. Varsho flies out. Clement singles, Kirk scores. 2-1 Blue Jays. Barger grounds out, Clement moves to 3rd. Kiner-Falefa grounds out. 2-1 Blue Jays

4:50 p.m. - Bottom of 5 - Canzone pops out. Rivas walks. Rodríguez lines out. Raleigh flies out. 1-1

4:39 p.m. - Top of 5 - Barger singles. Matt Brash replaces Bryce Miller. Kiner-Falefa flies out. Giménez grounds out, Barger to 2nd. Springer doubles, Barger scores. 1-1. Lukes walks. Guerrero Jr. strikes out. 1-1

4:23 p.m. - Bottom of 4 - Naylor singles. Arozarena grounds into force out, Naylor out at 2nd. Suárez lines out. Arozarena steals 2nd. Crawford flies out. 1-0 Mariners

4:15 p.m. - Top of 4 - Lukes doubles. Guerrero Jr. intentionally walked. Kirk walks. Bases loaded. Varsho strikes out. Clement grounds into double play. 1-0 Mariners

4:05 p.m. - Bottom of 3 - Rodríguez flies out. Raleigh strikes out. Polanco strikes out. 1-0 Mariners

3:55 p.m. - Top of 3 - Kiner-Falefa doubles. Giménez lines into double play. Springer grounds out. 1-0 Mariners

3:47 p.m. - Bottom of 2 - Arozarena grounds out. Suárez home run! 1-0 Mariners. Crawford walks. Canzone lines out. Rivas strikes out. 1-0 Mariners

3:36 p.m. - Top of 2 - Varsho pops out. Clement lines out. Barger strikes out. 0-0

3:27 p.m. - Bottom of 1 - Rodríguez flies out. Raleigh doubles. Polanco strikes out. Naylor grounds out. 0-0

3:15 p.m. - Top of 1 - Springer strikes out. Lukes flies out. Guerrero Jr. doubles. Kirk strikes out. 0-0

3 p.m. - The roof is closed at T-Mobile Park for today’s game. First pitch is 3:08 p.m. Mariners announcer Rick Rizzs threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Mariners legend Jay Buhner.

PREVIOUS

Bryce Miller will take the mound Friday as the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays meet for Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at T-Mobile Park, with the best-of-seven series tied at two games apiece.

The Mariners are looking to reclaim momentum after an 8-2 loss Thursday night.

Toronto’s win evened the series, continuing a rare pattern — the road team has won every game so far.

Seattle took the first two in Toronto, while the Blue Jays answered with two victories in Seattle.

If the Mariners win Friday, they’ll move within one victory of reaching their first World Series in franchise history.

Seattle is in the ALCS for the fourth time in team history (1995, 2000, 2001, 2025).

The club has made the postseason six times overall, winning a series in five of those appearances — the only exception was in 1997.

Manager Dan Wilson, in his first full season, led the Mariners to a 90-72 record and their first AL West Division title since 2001.

Under Wilson, Seattle holds a combined 116-88 record including playoffs.

Right-hander Bryce Miller, 27, will start for Seattle.

He has been one of the team’s most consistent arms this postseason, posting a 2.61 ERA through two starts.

Miller threw six strong innings in Game 1 against Toronto, allowing just one run on two hits in a 3-1 Mariners win.

“It helps pitching in a pitcher-friendly park,” Miller said ahead of Game 5. “It just kind of adds to the confidence and being able to go out there and get ahead and attack whenever you know that everything’s on your side, in your favor.”

Miller’s regular season included a 4-6 record with a 5.68 ERA over 18 starts, but he finished strong after two midseason stints on the injured list.

His postseason command has been sharp, holding opponents to a .167 average.

Seattle’s offense continues to rely on catcher Cal Raleigh, who has reached base safely in all nine postseason games this year.

Raleigh, who hit 60 home runs during the regular season — the most ever by a catcher, a switch-hitter, or a Mariner — added three more in the playoffs for a total of 63 across the season.

Josh Naylor has also been a standout, batting .324 in the postseason with two home runs and 12 hits.

His four postseason games with at least three hits tie the MLB record shared by Mariners greats Jay Buhner and Edgar Martinez.

Jorge Polanco remains a key spark, driving in eight runs with a .814 OPS, including a walk-off single in the 15th inning of Game 5 of the ALDS that sent Seattle to the ALCS.

Seattle’s bullpen has been one of its strengths.

Closer Andrés Muñoz has been perfect so far, not allowing a hit in 6.1 innings while earning two saves.

Matt Brash has a 1.29 ERA in six appearances, and the group has combined to strand key runners throughout the postseason.

Historical and statistical notes

• The Mariners have scored first in eight of their nine playoff games this season.
• The team’s offense finished the regular season ranked third in MLB with 238 home runs and tied for third with 161 stolen bases — making them just the second team in league history to record both 230+ homers and 160+ steals in a season.
• The Mariners’ lineup features eight players with an OPS+ of at least 110, including Dominic Canzone (.840 OPS) and Julio Rodríguez (128 OPS+).

Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 3:08 p.m. on FS1. Joe Davis and John Smoltz will call the game, with Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci reporting from the field. Radio coverage will air on Seattle Sports 710 AM and ESPN Radio.

Game 6 will be played Sunday in Toronto.

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