SEATTLE — Within the hallway outdoors the Seattle Mariners’ clubhouse is an indication that reads “Good Vibes Solely,” a phrase coined by Eugenio Suarez when he helped the franchise snap a 21-year postseason drought in 2022.
After Suarez subsequently spent 1 1/2 years in Arizona, the Mariners reacquired the slugging third baseman at this summer season on the commerce deadline.
That transfer greater than paid off on Friday, when Suarez’s second residence run of the sport, an eighth-inning grand slam, broke a tie because the Mariners defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 to regain management of the American League Championship Collection.
Cal Raleigh sparked the rally with a leadoff homer within the eighth because the Mariners took a 3-2 lead within the best-of-seven sequence.
A win in Recreation 6 at Toronto on Sunday would ship Seattle to the World Collection for the primary time.
“My feelings proper now, it’s totally excessive,” stated Suarez, who entered the day hitting .162 with one homer and two RBIs within the 2025 postseason. “I really feel so grateful. God gave me the flexibility to do one thing good for this metropolis, and the vibe is at all times going to be excessive.
“Even once you’re struggling, you have to maintain your good vibes as a result of it is a reward. Right this moment our vibe was so excessive. We all know what’s in entrance of us, and we need to take it.”
Mariners supervisor Dan Wilson made some lineup adjustments after his group dropped Video games 3 and 4 at residence, notably transferring Julio Rodriguez into the leadoff spot and dropping Randy Arozarena to fifth, but it surely was the 2 gamers who maintained their spots within the batting order who did essentially the most harm.
Raleigh simply cleared the left subject fence on a pitch from left-hander Brendon Little (0-1) to tie the rating at 2-2. It was the fourth homer of the playoffs for Raleigh after he hit a major-league-leading 60 in the course of the common season.
Little then walked Jorge Polanco and Josh Naylor earlier than being pulled for Seranthony Dominguez, who hit Randy Arozarena with a pitch to load the bases with no outs.
Suarez, who opened the scoring with a solo shot within the second, went deep with an opposite-field blast to proper, shaking the inspiration at T-Cell Park.
“It felt like Cal’s ball was within the air for, like, an hour,” Wilson stated. “However to see that one go over and tie the rating … after which after Geno’s grand slam, I am undecided I’ve heard that constructing any louder than that.”
Gabe Speier (1-1) pitched a scoreless inning of aid for the victory, and Seattle nearer Andres Munoz labored a 1-2-3 ninth in a non-save scenario.
Blue Jays leadoff man and designated hitter George Springer, who drove residence the tying run with a fifth-inning double, needed to depart the sport after being hit by a pitch on the proper knee within the seventh.
“He is obtained a proper knee contusion. He had X-rays, which had been damaging, which is an effective factor,” Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider stated, “He’ll in all probability do some extra testing (Friday evening) once we get residence. George is about as powerful as they arrive. I feel he’ll have to actually, actually be hurting to not be within the lineup on Sunday.”
Toronto took the lead within the sixth off Bryan Woo, who was making the primary aid look of his profession apart from this summer season’s All-Star Recreation in Atlanta.
Woo, who hadn’t pitched since Sept. 19 due to a strained pectoral muscle that saved him off the AL Division Collection roster, was greeted by Alejandro Kirk’s double to right-center. An out later, Ernie Clement, who had grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded within the fourth, lined a single to proper, giving Toronto a 2-1 lead.
“It labored out properly for him to have the ability to get in there, to get his toes moist once more, and to see what it was like popping out of the bullpen and be capable to get two innings in,” Wilson stated. “That is what we’re making an attempt to do is maintain the sport shut and permit our offense to do some harm late.”
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman went 5 2/3 innings and gave up one run on three hits. The fitting-hander walked three and struck out 4.
Seattle starter Bryce Miller pitched four-plus innings and was charged with one run on 4 hits, with two walks and 4 strikeouts.
Schneider vowed the Blue Jays can be prepared for Recreation 6.
“Yeah, we nonetheless have home-field benefit. As cool of an atmosphere it’s to play right here, I do know that our followers are going to be prepared for us to get residence on Sunday,” he stated. “It is a seven-game sequence, and we did our job coming in right here taking two out of three, and we’ll go residence and we’ll positively be able to play.”
–Gene Warnick, Discipline Degree Media
