Seattle Mariners Edge Tigers in Historic 15-Inning Thriller to Advance to First ALCS in 24 Years
In a dramatic extra-inning battle, Jorge Polanco delivered the winning run with a single to the outfield, clinching a narrow victory for the home team over the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the ALDS.
Key Moments in the Marathon Game
Luis Castillo, delivering his initial bullpen outing in the major leagues, threw over an inning to earn the victory, propelling his team to the ALCS for the first time since 2001.
The Mariners will now compete against the Toronto for the pennant in a contest between franchise brethren. The series opener is scheduled for Sunday in Toronto.
Final Inning Breakthrough
- JP Crawford started the bottom of the last inning with a line-drive single to right field.
- Another batter was hit by a pitch, putting runners on the bases.
- After Cal Raleigh made an out, a fielding mistake by the outfielder allowed Crawford to advance.
- Following an intentional walk, Polanco connected on a full count to end the game.
Key Runs and Defensive Efforts
A Tigers hitter provided all of the visitors' scoring with a home run in the middle frames.
Seattle evened the score at 2-2 in the later inning on a substitute batter's RBI single.
Each squad threatened repeatedly in overtime, with the home team grounding into twin killings in both the 12th and 13th.
Starting Pitchers Battle
Tarik Skubal and the Mariners' starter delivered a pitchers' duel in the opening frames.
Skubal, a Cy Young Award favorite, allowed one run on a couple of hits with zero bases on balls and 13 strikeouts over multiple frames. He established a playoff mark with back-to-back K's.
The only run came in the early going, when a double, stolen base, and sacrifice fly brought home a point for the home side.
Kirby opened with shutout frames before surrendering a early hit in the middle inning. After a pitching change, the Tigers batter homered on a pitch to hand the visitors the advantage.
Kirby went five-plus innings and was charged with a single score on three hits with no walks and several K's.
The win signifies a major achievement for the Seattle franchise, who move forward to compete for a spot in the championship after a long postseason absence.
