ALDS Game 5: Mariners 3, Tigers 2 (15 innings)
A 15th-inning bases-loaded single by Jorge Polanco sent the Seattle Mariners to the ALCS at the expense of the valiant Detroit Tigers, 3–2. It is the fourth-ever ALCS berth for the Mariners and first since 2001, when the 116-win Mariners bowed to the New York Yankees in six games. The win and advancement bring the Mariners one step closer to their elusive first pennant, the last remaining franchise to lack one.
“I don’t even know where to begin,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said in the postgame press conference, “to try to recap all the heroic efforts that went into today, from one guy to the next. And 15 innings? I’ve got to say, I don’t know how the fans kept their energy going. It was unbelievably loud, even in the 15th inning. This is a special place. T-Mobile Park is a special place, and they showed us that tonight. An incredible ballgame from top to bottom.”
Mariners – Tigers Game Summary
The Mariners struck first, doing so in the bottom of the second against Tigers ace and Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal. A one-out opposite-field double by Josh Naylor got their first runner in scoring position. He stole third with Mitch Garver batting and scored two pitches later, when Garver belted a deep sacrifice fly to center. The Tigers snatched the lead away in the sixth after a leadoff double by Javier Baez off starting pitcher George Kirby. Following a pitching change, a two-run home run by Mariners nemesis and Kirby Kryptonite Kerry Carpenter completed the two-spot.
But the Mariners counter-punched after Skubal left the game. Against Trade Deadline acquisition Kyle Finnegan, they put runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh. A substitution back-and-forth ensued, and ultimately, Tigers lefty Tyler Holton faced pinch-hitter Leo Rivas. Rivas tied the game with a single to left on his 28th birthday.
That was the last run scored until the 15th, but not for lack of opportunities. The Mariners left runners in scoring position in the seventh, 10th, 12th, and 13th. And the Tigers did so in the eighth, 11th, 12th, and 14th, leaving them loaded in the 12th. “Guys just kept battling,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said in the postgame press conference. “There were opportunities on both sides after the ninth inning. It felt like it was a pretty quiet game from an opportunity standpoint until we got into extras, and then there were runners everywhere. And there were double plays, and they’re caught stealing. There’s bunts, and there’s guys picking up each other on errors or misplays.”
What Went Right for the Tigers
Starting Pitching
Tarik Skubal was outstanding. He lasted six innings, giving it everything he had, according to his manager. Skubal allowed one run on two hits and fanned 13 while walking none.
Relief Pitching
Tigers relievers combined to allow two runs on six hits, walking seven and striking out seven across 8 1/3 innings. They also stranded Mariner runners in scoring position, as mentioned above, in the seventh, 10th, 12th, and 13th. (They technically did in the 15th, also, but the game was over, so it is irrelevant.)
Can Carpenter Even Make an Out?
Tigers right fielder Kerry Carpenter reached base each of the first six times he batted. He had three singles, a two-run homer, and two walks, one of which was intentional. He finally made an out at the plate when Luis Castillo struck him out to lead off the top of the 15th.
What Went Wrong for the Tigers
Ultimately Fell Short
They had nothing to be ashamed of in this game, but the ultimate outcome was one of the few things that went wrong for the Tigers.
Runners Left in Scoring Position
Of the 10 runners the Tigers left on base, five were in scoring position. They batted 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
What Went Right for the Mariners
Manufactured the First Run
Josh Naylor cranked a double and — using the elements around him to catch the Tigers off-guard — stole third. He scored two pitches later on a sacrifice fly. That run doesn’t happen without the stolen base. Naylor, since being traded mid-season to the Mariners, went 20-for-20 in stolen base attempts (incl. postseason) despite having the second-slowest sprint speed in the AL. Blue Jays catcher and well-known tortoise Alejandro Kirk has the slowest.
Rivas the Birthday Hero
Leo Rivas spent nine years in the minors and debuted last season. He yo-yoed between the majors and minors in 2024 and 2025, playing a combined 91 regular-season big league games. His first career postseason at-bat came as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning of this game, a winner-take-all playoff game. And he got the game-tying RBI, on his 28th birthday, no less.
“Best day ever,” he said in the postgame press conference. “Since I woke up today, I said to myself, ‘it’s going to be a good day. It’s going to be a great day to celebrate my birthday.” Rivas spent much of his career giving much to his teammates, many who made the big leagues before he did, and many who call him “Papa.” When asked how rewarding it was to start to get that back, the humble Rivas simply said, “All glory to God. He knows what I’ve been through. I’m just happy with Him. He’s been good for me, for my family too, that He keeps me where I am right now. I’m just grateful,”
Forced Lots of Pitches from Skubal
It took Skubal 54 total pitches — 18 in each — to get through the first three innings. In the fourth, it took him another 17. Doing so chased him from the game after only six innings, where the Mariners liked their chances much more against the Tigers relief corps.
Pitching, Both Starting and Relief
Kirby allowed one run, which was inherited by reliever Gabe Speier, on three hits, striking out six across five innings. Six relievers combined to hold the Tigers at one run on five hits across 10 innings. They combined to walk four and strike out 11.
What Went Wrong for the Mariners
Pitching Change Backfired
Wilson brought Speier in to face Carpenter specifically because Carpenter does not do as well against lefties. During the regular season, his batting average was 40 points lower and his slugging percentage was 112 points lower against southpaws. So when Carpenter ripped the homer off Speier, it upended the strategy. Additionally, Kirby was out of the game after only 66 pitches. But that did not deter Wilson and the Mariner coaches. Wilson said postgame, “It’s a tough decision, but when you have a bullpen like we do and it was ready, we were going to be aggressive.”
Runners Left in Scoring Position
The Mariners left 12 runners on base, with six in scoring position. Excluding the final inning, where runners left on base were irrelevant since they had notched a walk-off victory, they left nine on base with four in scoring position. They batted 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
Quick Hits
This is the Mariners’ fourth ALCS berth, and manager Dan Wilson has been involved with all of them. A retired catcher, he played for the Mariners teams that lost the 1995, 2000, and 2001 ALCS. The ’95 team succumbed to the then-Cleveland Indians in six games, the 2000 team fell to the New York Yankees in six, and the ’01 team tripped over the Yankees in five.
(Hat tip for all of the rest goes to the incomparable Sarah Langs via x.com, formerly Twitter)
This was the second ALDS winner-take-all game to go to extra innings. The Mariners have been involved in both, with the other being one of the most famous games in both Mariners and baseball history. It was Game Five of the 1995 ALDS against the Yankees. All one needs to say to a Mariners diehard is “The Double.” For the rest of us, it was the game where Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez’s two-run double scored both Joey Cora from third and Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr from first. Cora, oddly enough, is currently the Tigers’ third-base coach.
This was the longest winner-take-all game inning-wise in playoff history, surpassing the 2018 National League Wild Card Game. In that marathon, the Colorado Rockies defeated the Chicago Cubs, 2–1, in 13 innings.
Tarik Skubal set the record for most strikeouts ever in a winner-take-all postseason game, with 13.
Skubal is the first pitcher to ever record multiple 13+ strikeout games in a single postseason. The only others to even have two in a postseason career may sound familiar: Gerrit Cole and some guy named Bob Gibson.
Quotes
“The back half of that game is like a game in itself. We dodged a few bullets, and so did they. And it felt like that game — you know, I didn’t want it to end, certainly the way that it did. But I wanted to keep giving ourselves a puncher’s chance, and they outlasted us.” — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch
Looking Ahead
Luis Castillo earned the win for the Mariners as Tommy Kahnle took the loss for the Tigers, both in relief. There was no save.
The Mariners head to Toronto for the first two games of the ALCS, facing the Toronto Blue Jays, who finished with the best record in the American League. Game One will be Monday, with first pitch scheduled at 8:03 pm Eastern/5:03 pm Pacific. Starting pitchers had yet to be announced at press time.
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