MARINERS ON VERGE OF FIRST WORLD SERIES TRIP AFTER PIVOTAL GAME 5 WIN OVER BLUE JAYS

Seattle Mariners' Eugenio Suárez celebrates after hitting a grand slam home run during the eighth inning in Game 5 of baseball's American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

SEATTLE (AP) — Eugenio Suárez 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.

Suárez 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 waited a long time for this moment and we’re here to give it to them. We’re here to fight for a World Series,” Suárez 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 Domínguez relieved and hit Randy Arozarena with a pitch.

Suárez 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,” Suárez said.

Suárez, 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,” Suárez 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.

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.

HOUSTON ASTROS VS. SEATTLE MARINERS

 

ICHIRO BECOMES FIRST JAPANESE PLAYER ELECTED TO MLB HALL OF FAME

Hit king Ichiro Suzuki has become the first Japanese player elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame (Kazuhiro NOGI)

Global baseball's hit king Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese-born player elected to Major League baseball's Hall of Fame on Tuesday, just one vote shy of unanimous selection.

The Seattle Mariners star headlines the 2025 Hall of Fame class to be enshrined at Cooperstown, New York, which also includes pitcher CC Sabathia and relief pitcher Billy Wagner.

In his first year of eligibility, the 51-year-old Ichiro was chosen in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America -- but Yankees pitching great Mariano Rivera remains the only unanimously elected Hall of Famer.

At a press conference at the Mariners' ballpark, Ichiro said he was still absorbing the news after getting the official Hall of Fame call.

"Happiness and all the joy will probably come later," he said. "At that time, it was just a relief."

The call to Cooperstown was something he hadn't imagined even as he rose to stardom in his homeland.

"There was a time that I didn't even know if I'd get the chance to play in the MLB. So what an honor it is for me to be here and to be a Hall of Famer. It's a special day."

The Mariners made it even more special, announcing they would retire his No. 51 jersey next August.

"Ichiro is a superstar who has inspired the hopes and dreams of many," Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.

Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh called it a "very happy moment."

"Now I hope Ohtani will continue to work hard and close the gap between Japan and the US," Oh said in comments carried by public broadcaster NHK, referring to current top MLB star Shohei Ohtani.

- More hits than Rose -

Ichiro was 27 when he made his debut with the Mariners in 2001, becoming the first Japanese position player, as opposed to a pitcher, to play in the US major leagues.

He won both American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year honors that year, going on to earn 10 All-Star nods, 10 Gold Glove awards and three Silver Slugger Awards.

The player finished his career with 3,089 hits in MLB -- on top of 1,278 he piled up in nine years in Japan.

His 4,367 hits as a professional are the most of any player in baseball history, surpassing MLB's all-time leader Pete Rose (4,256).

Ichiro amassed two batting titles, 1,420 runs and 509 stolen bases in 19 Major League seasons while expanding the horizons for Japanese players aiming to make the move stateside when some doubted that their skills would translate to MLB.

In 2004 Ichiro won his second batting title and broke George Sisler's 84-year-old record with 262 hits -- part of a stretch of 10 straight seasons with at least 200 hits.

He had brief stints with the Yankees and Marlins before finishing his career with the Mariners, retiring in 2019 and remaining with the club as a special assistant to the chairman.

- 'One of a kind' -

"Ichiro is truly one of a kind," Mariners president Jerry Dipoto said.

"His commitment, legendary work ethic, physical endurance, mental toughness, attention to detail and passion for the game are all on a different level."

Sabathia, a left-handed starting pitcher who won a World Series with the New York Yankees, was also elected in his first year of eligibility while Wagner, an imposing closing pitcher, was elected in his 10th and final appearance on the writers' ballot.

Sabathia pitched more than 3,577 innings and piled up 251 wins. With 3,093 strikeouts he's one of only 15 pitchers, and one of just three left-handers, with at least 3,000 strikeouts and 250 wins.

He won the American League Cy Young Award with Cleveland in 2007 and helped the Yankees to the 2009 World Series title in the first of his 11 seasons in the Bronx.

Wagner is the ninth closing pitcher to be elected to the Hall of Fame. In 16 seasons with the Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Braves he compiled 422 saves with 1,196 strikeouts, earning All-Star honors seven times.

- AFP

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