Mariners edge Tigers in record 15-game saga to reach first ALCS in 24 years | MLB
Jorge Polanco singled to right field with one out and the bases loaded in the 15th inning, giving the Seattle Mariners a 3-2 victory over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Friday in the deciding Game 5 of the American League Division Series.
Luis Castillo (1-0), making the first appearance of his major league career, pitched an inning and a third to get the victory, putting the Mariners in the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2001.
Seattle will play the Blue Jays for the pennant in a matchup between the 1977 expansion brothers. The first game is scheduled for Sunday in Toronto.
J.B. Crawford led off the bottom of the 15th with a single to right off Tommy Kahnle (0-1). Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch before Cal Raleigh flied out, with Crawford taking third on a throwing error by center fielder Parker Meadows. After an intentional walk to Julio Rodriguez, Polanco singled on a 3-2 pitch to win it.
Kerry Carpenter hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to account for all of the Tigers’ offense.
The Mariners tied the score at 2-2 in the seventh inning on Leo Rivas’ RBI single.
Both teams threatened repeatedly in extra innings, with the Mariners getting into a double play in the 12th and 13th innings.
Starters Tarik Skubal of Detroit and George Kirby of Seattle dueled in the first innings.
Skubal, a candidate to win his second straight Cy Young Award, allowed one run on two hits and did not walk more than six innings with 13 strikeouts. He set a major league postseason record with seven straight hits, fanning Victor Robles to end the second inning and hitting home runs in the third and fourth innings.
The only run allowed by Skubal came in the second. Josh Naylor lined a reverse double into the left field corner with one out, stole third and came home on Mitch Garver’s sacrifice fly to deep center.
Skubal, who threw 99 pitches, retired the last 14 batters he faced before delivering the ball to the bullpen.
The Mariners tied it for seventh place. Polanco drew a single off reliever Kyle Finnegan and Naylor set up a two-out single to right, with Polanco grounding out to second. After announcing pinch hitter Dominic Canzone, the Tigers turned to left-hander Tyler Holton.
The Mariners fended off Rivas, who was celebrating his 28th birthday. Rivas lined a single to left to score Polanco and make the score 2-2.
Kirby opened with five scoreless innings before Javier Baez hit a leadoff double in the sixth. With the left-handed hitting Carpenter coming to the plate, Mariners manager Dan Wilson elected to turn to Gabe Speier. This was in large part because Carpenter had five homers in his career against Kirby, including a two-run shot in the fifth inning of Game 1 — which the Tigers won 3-2 in 11 innings.
Carpenter spoiled the strategy, hitting a 1-0 fastball down the middle 411 feet into the stands in right-center field to give Detroit the lead.
Kirby went over five innings and was charged with one run on three hits, no walks and six strikeouts.