The Seattle Mariners made a dramatic comeback in Game 5 of the 2025 American League Championship Series on Friday night, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 at T-Mobile Park. Facing elimination and down to their final six outs at home, Seattle unleashed a game-changing eighth-inning rally.
It all began when Cal Raleigh, the Mariners’ catcher, launched a leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game. It was Raleigh’s 64th home run of the season, equalling New York Yankees star Aaron Judge’s AL record for total home runs across the regular season and postseason.
With two walks and a hit-by-pitch loading the bases, Eugenio Suarez, a midseason acquisition and fan favorite, stepped to the plate and smacked an opposite-field grand slam off right-hander Seranthony Dominguez. Suarez’s hit, his second home run of the night, propelled the Mariners to a 6-2 advantage and secured only the seventh go-ahead grand slam in postseason history in the eighth inning or later. Suarez finished the game 2-for-3 with five RBIs, while Raleigh contributed 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Reflecting on the moment, The Big Dumper described the scene:
“The fans and the stadium were waiting 26 innings for that… that was a huge moment,” he said. “Probably one of the loudest moments I’ve ever heard here.”
Seattle had taken a 1-0 lead on Suarez’s 396-foot homer in the second inning, but Toronto responded with two runs in the fifth and sixth innings to go ahead 2-1. The Mariners ace, Bryce Miller, started the game, allowing one earned run over four innings while striking out four batters and walking two.
The win gave Seattle a 3-2 series lead in the best-of-seven ALCS, bringing them within one win of reaching the World Series for the first time. The Mariners will travel to Toronto’s Rogers Centre for Game 6 on Sunday. The game will start at 8:03 p.m. ET.
