SEATTLE – From disappointment to legend, Eugenio Suarez’s legacy turned over with the flip of his bat as he watched that ball fly.
With one swing Suarez erased all the premature evaluations of his performance, of the Mariners offense, and of the once-thought-disappointing trade that brought him back to Seattle.
In its place he wrote his name in Mariners lore with permanent ink.
Suarez’s eighth-inning grand slam, his second home run of the game, secured the team’s 6-2 win over the visiting Blue Jays and brought them closer to the World Series than they have ever been before. It is the biggest play in the history of Seattle baseball.
So far.
Sorry, Cal Raleigh. Your solo shot to lead off the inning and tie the game was epic, and would have warranted similar reverence if the game had ended differently.
But it is Geno’s blast they’ll be playing on the big screen between innings years from now.
The big-hitting third baseman has been unfairly cast as an avatar for the Mariners for much of the season. At first, as proof that finally this frugal club was “going for it.” The biggest name hitter widely thought available at the trade deadline, the popular former Mariner was one of the home run leaders all season and his acquisition from Arizona showed fans that finally Seattle’s front office was willing to compete.
But upon arrival in Seattle his production dropped. Though he hit 13 home runs for the Mariners, his on-base plus slugging percentage fell from .897 to .682. His struggles continued in the playoffs, entering Friday’s game hitting just .162, and he was an easy target for fans frustrated with a team that seemed unable to score runs at home.
To set up Suarez’s swing, the Mariners first needed to slay the third inning dragon.
Remember, the Mariners came back to Seattle with a 2-0 series lead and a seemingly breezy path through the ALCS. But then in two consecutive games, with Seattle nursing a lead after an early home run, the following series of events took place in the third inning:
Leadoff double. Andres Gimenez hits a home run. Blue Jays offense erupts and buries the Mariners, whose bats simply can’t keep up.
Would you believe it almost happened again?
The dreaded third inning began with trepidation and then despondency for Mariners fans as Isiah Kiner-Falefa continued the tradition with a leadoff double. But somehow Bryce Miller managed to reverse the cycle, drawing a mere line drive from Gimenez to Josh Naylor who whipped it to second base to double-up Kiner-Falefa.
The potent Toronto offense threatened again in the fourth inning. Nathan Lukes doubled to lead off the inning, and Miller intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He issued a second walk to Alejandro Kirk to load the bases with no outs.
And yet, Miller escaped again. Ernie Clement swung and spiked the ball right in front of Cal Raleigh, who stepped on home plate to get the forceout on Lukes before throwing to first to complete the double play.
Raleigh, notably, was not announced this week as a finalist for the American League Golden Glove a year after winning the Platinum Glove awarded to the best defensive catcher in baseball.
Guerrero Jr. is putting together the kind of postseason that will make folks forget his namesake was a pretty good ballplayer himself, and the Mariners would prefer not to pitch to him, issuing another intentional walk in the seventh inning.
But a key moment in the game came in the fifth inning, when Matt Brash had replaced Miller following a leadoff single to Addison Barger. George Springer doubled to score Barger and Lukes had walked about, bringing up Guerrero Jr.
How hot is this batter right now? In the 2025 postseason he has five home runs and a slash line of .457/.524/1.495.
Brash struck him out swinging.
Having finally conquered T-Mobile Park the Mariners now return to Toronto with two chances to win in a ballpark they have won at twice. If they go any further, you can thank the trade that brought Suarez back to Seattle.