Seattle Mariners Outlast Tigers in Historic 15-Inning Thriller to Advance to First ALCS in 24 Years
Through a gripping extra-inning clash, Jorge Polanco drove in the winning run with a single to the outfield, sealing a narrow win for the Seattle Mariners over the visiting squad in the decisive game of the ALDS.
Key Moments in the Marathon Matchup
The Mariners pitcher, making his initial bullpen outing in the major leagues, threw over an inning to earn the victory, sending his team to the AL Championship Series for the initial occasion in over two decades.
The Mariners will now face the Toronto for the championship in a contest between franchise counterparts. The series opener is set for the weekend in the Blue Jays' home.
Final Inning Breakthrough
- The leadoff hitter started the final half of the last inning with a sharp hit to the outfield.
- Another batter was struck by a throw, placing players on the bases.
- After Cal Raleigh made an out, a fielding mistake by the outfielder allowed the runner to advance.
- Following an intentional walk, the batter connected on a 3-2 pitch to conclude the contest.
Scoring Highlights and Defensive Efforts
A Tigers hitter provided all of Detroit's offense with a home run in the sixth inning.
Seattle tied it at 2-2 in the seventh on a pinch hitter's run-scoring hit.
Both teams posed a danger multiple times in extra innings, with the Mariners grounding into twin killings in both the later extra innings.
Starting Pitchers Duel
The Tigers' ace and George Kirby engaged in a low-scoring battle in the opening frames.
Skubal, a Cy Young Award contender, allowed a single score on two hits with no walks and 13 strikeouts over multiple frames. He set a playoff mark with back-to-back K's.
His sole allowed score occurred in the second inning, when a double, theft, and deep out scored a run for the home side.
Kirby began with five scoreless innings before allowing a early hit in the middle inning. After a bullpen move, the Tigers batter homered on a fastball to hand Detroit the advantage.
Kirby went five-plus innings and was charged with a single score on three hits with zero free passes and six strikeouts.
The win signifies a significant milestone for the Mariners, who move forward to battle for a place in the World Series after a long playoff drought.
