As much as the baseball world felt like it was caving in on the Seattle Mariners, in reality it wasn’t. Seattle might have lost their two previous home games and seven straight to Toronto inside T-Mobile Park, but the series was level 2-2 and momentum could turn at an instant.

A fan base starved for a World Series felt empty after the first two games of this series, with so much left on the table. But this American League Championship Series had another turn, this time in favor of the Mariners.

On a Eugenio Suarez grand slam in the eighth inning, the Seattle Mariners are now closer to the World Series than ever before. With a 6-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Oct. 17, the Mariners lead the series 3-2.

“I’ve been waiting for games like this my whole career. Today I had it, in front of our crowd, my family, my two daughters and my wife. The moment is very special right now,” Suarez said post-game.

Trailing 2-1 in the eighth, after not recording a hit since the fourth inning, Seattle had their home playoff moment of the series. Cal Raleigh added to his MVP pedigree and hit a solo home run that might have been picked up on the Sea-Tac radar. A solo home run that reached an apex of 155 feet and traveled 343 feet tied the game and shocked belief back into T-Mobile Par — and more importantly, the Mariners themselves.

“It felt like Cal’s ball was in the air for about an hour. But to see that one go over and tie the score and then Geno’s grand slam. I am not sure I have heard that building any louder. I can’t say enough about the fans here in Seattle,” Manager Dan Wilson said.

To set up Suarez’s slam, Jorge Polanco walked, Josh Naylor followed suit and Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch to load the bases, all with two outs. Entering Game 5, Eugenio Suarez was just 4 for 16, registering one hit in each of the first four games.

After homering to start the scoring off Blue Jay starter Kevin Gausman and singling to right the night before, Suarez was starting to find himself.

“What an afternoon for Geno. Just not trying to do too much with that pitch and hit it the other way like he did, was just a phenomenal at-bat all the way through. The homer earlier in the game to get us on the board, you can’t say enough about how good this must feel for Geno,” Wilson said.

On a 2-2 pitch, Suarez put the city of Seattle on his back, and hit a grand slam to right field and stole all the momentum in Game 5. After two dreadful games, and the hopes and dreams of a World Series hanging in the balance, Suarez delivered when the team needed it and he needed it.

“God gave me the ability to do something good for this city and the vibes are always going to be high,” Suarez said.

But the game wasn’t won by just Suarez. The Mariners pitchers made another statement against the Blue Jays, starting with Bryce Miller.

“I think he’s doing a great job of using all his pitches. I think with this lineup and this time of year you have to mix, you can’t rely on one pitch,” Cal Raleigh said. “I thought he threw the ball really well again today.”

Miller started Game 1 and was brilliant, but his defense bailed him out in this game, helping him minimize damage through four innings of work. Josh Naylor snagged a line drive from Andres Gimenez in the third inning and caught Isiah Kinder-Falefa off second base.

In the fourth on a swinging bunt from Ernie Clement with the bases loaded, Cal Raleigh bounced on a ball sitting on home plate and threw to first to double up Clement for the third out.

“To be able to pick up that double play was huge. He’s all over it, that is what he has done all season. You saw him make that play today, had a lot of nice blocks and was able to deliver offensively. In my mind he is the obvious MVP choice,” Wilson said.

Suarez made a running, bobbling catch in shallow left field in the first, and a team that struggled defensively came to play early.

Toronto’s bats came alive in the fifth — Addison Barger singled to chase Miller to lead off the fifth inning. Matt Brash came in from the bullpen to take on the heart of the Blue Jays lineup. Ever dangerous Geroge Springer one hopped the wall in left center for an RBI double, scoring Barger. Brash was able to minimize the damage and struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after falling behind 2-0 in the count.

“He’s (Guerrero) unbelievable and one of the best hitters in the game. He is also as hot as anybody right now. To be honest you gotta execute and even if you do, sometimes he’ll still get you,” Cal Raleigh said. “He’s a great hitter, but you gotta tip your hat to Brash. He made some really good pitches to him.”

In the sixth, Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo made his postseason debut out of the bullpen following Brash and struggled out of the gate. Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk doubled and Clement singled to right with one out to take a 2-1 lead. Woo then pitched a scoreless seventh inning to finish his first outing of the playoffs.

Clement kept finding his way into difference making events — a bases loaded double play, go-ahead RBI and in the eighth nearly put the game out of reach. But Clement’s deep fly ball was robbed by Randy Arozarena, who came through with a massive play.

The Arozarena catch swung a bit of momentum back to Seattle, but Raleigh swung even more momentum the Mariners’ way. He has had big swings all season, but a game-tying home run is a different kind of big.

Then came Geno Suarez. A man who has embodied the “Good Vibes Only” mantra he so proudly carries on his sleeve. For him, there hasn’t been a bigger moment. For the city, for the team, for himself. In the eighth inning of game five of the ALCS, Geno Suarez met the moment.

“As good of a player Geno is, he is a better person. That is what shines through with Geno. You can’t tell if he’s in a slump or what he’s going through because he is picking everybody else up. He’s just a selfless player. That’s why everybody in the clubhouse roots for Geno,” Wilson said.

His grand slam literally shook T-Mobile Park, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. He permanently etched himself into Mariners history, along with Raleigh, Griffey and Edgar.

“Today was very special. Not only because I hit the grand slam but because I had the opportunity of my daughters and wife watching me. They came here last night just for this type of game and I have been waiting for this. I feel so grateful right now and it feels so good because we are going to Toronto with an opportunity in front of us to go to the World Series,” Suarez said.