Bryce Miller and three Seattle relief pitchers baffled Toronto batters to spark the Mariners over the Blue Jays 3-1 in Sunday's opening game of their Major League Baseball playoff series.

Seattle's Cal Raleigh smashed a home run and Jorge Polanco drove in two runs to provide the scoring.

Miller, a right-hander starting on short rest for the first time in his career, surrendered a homer to George Springer on his first offering of the night, but the Blue Jays had only one hit the rest of the night.

"Can't say enough about Bryce Miller on short rest and giving us six strong innings," Raleigh said. "Pitchers came out today and really impressed us, awesome, especially after short rest."

Seattle took a 1-0 edge in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series with Monday's game two also in Canada.

The AL champion will face the National League champion, either the Milwaukee Brewers or defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, in the World Series.

"It's going to be tough," Raleigh said. "We've just got to keep doing it."

Miller delivered the longest MLB playoff short-rest start in six years, joining relievers Gabe Speier in the seventh inning, Matt Brash in the eighth and Andres Munoz in the ninth in retiring 23 of the final 24 Toronto batters.

"I just told him to go out there and trust his stuff and let it play," Raleigh said of a first-inning mound talk to Miller.

The Mariners, who have never played in the World Series, had not reached the ALCS since 2001 while the Jays, who won the World Series in 1992 and 1993, have not advanced this far since 2016 in quest of their first World Series in 32 years. (AFP)