Mariners Take 2-1 Lead, Besting Detroit Tigers

The Seattle Mariners, through a mixture of finding gaps, as well as the seats, take a 2-1 series lead over the Detroit Tigers.

Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

October 7, 2025

Mariners 8, Tigers 4

The Seattle Mariners take a 2-1 ALDS lead on the Detroit Tigers. Despite a 9th inning rally from the Tigers, the Mariners got the job done through a mix of finding gaps, as well as the seats.

Mariners – Tigers Game Summary

For the first two innings, there was a lack of offense from both teams. In the top of the third, the Mariners got it started. Back-to-back singles from J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena gave the Mariners a 2-0 lead.

After going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the first two games, Eugenio Suarez made his first hit of the series count. Suarez got an 0-1 fastball and hit a no-doubt shot to left center field. 422 feet later, Suarez made it a 3-0 ballgame for the Mariners.

After Tommy Kahnle came in and struck out Arozarena, the 60-home run man decided to get involved. Cal Raleigh came through with an RBI single up the middle to extend the lead to 4-0.

With runners on first and third, Kerry Carpenter hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring Dillon Dingler to finally put the Tigers on the board. However, that would be it, as Gleyber Torres would ground out to first to end the inning.

Crawford would add on, courtesy of a souvenir 397 feet into right field, making it a 5-1 ballgame in favor of the Mariners in the 6th. A sacrifice fly from Crawford two innings later would make it a 7-1 ballgame.

Sooner or later, Raleigh was going to connect on a long ball. In the 9th, as if the Mariners needed insurance, Raleigh hit a two-run bomb to bring the game to 8-1. It even went to a fan with a shirt that read “Dump Here,” with the number 61 on it. When he caught the ball, he took it off to reveal a similar shirt, but with the number 62 on it.

Little did we know, the Tigers still had some fight in them. A two-run double from Spencer Torkelson gave the Tigers some life in the 9th. Andy Ibanez, pinch-hitting for Zach McKinstry, drove Torkelson in. This all happened with no outs in the inning. Unfortunately, Andres Munoz came in and buried their rally in a shallow grave.

What Went Right for the Mariners

Hitting the Ball in the Gaps

“Yeah. I would say with all our guys, really, the ability to stay in the middle of the field, to drive the ball gap to gap — you know, I think that makes us better as hitters, and we’re at our best when we’re able to do that,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said in the pregame press conference.

Safe to say, the Mariners were playing at their best throughout the game. They hit three singles, finding the gaps through the infield, with some long balls thrown in between.

What Went Wrong for the Mariners

Unneeded Stress

The Tigers putting together a rally in the 9th definitely made some Mariners fans panic. The Mariners should be considered lucky that the rally didn’t go even further.

What Went Right for the Tigers

Tough At-Bats

The Tigers managed to put up tough at-bats against the Mariners. In three of Mariners starter Logan Gilbert’s five innings, they made him throw 15+ pitches. Gilbert really had to work to make it through five.

What Went Wrong for the Tigers

Lack of Runs Through Eight

The Tigers only scored five or more runs once in their last 12 games. This dates back to September 21st, when they lost the series finale to the Atlanta Braves. “Obviously it would be nice to just push the button and say today’s going to be the day for it to be our turn,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said in his pregame presser.