The Mariners survived an epic performance from Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal on Friday to reach the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2001. They’ll take on the Toronto Blue Jays in the best-of-seven AL Championship Series starting on Sunday with a World Series berth on the line.
J P Crawford led off the bottom of the 15th inning with a single before Detroit relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle hit Randy Arozarena with a pitch.
Cal Raleigh flew out and the runners advanced and after Julio Rodriguez was intentionally walked Polanco came to the plate and laced a single to right field that closed out the longest winner-take-all game in MLB playoff history. “I was trying to send it to the middle,” Polanco said.
The Mariners had opened the scoring with one run in the bottom of the second when Josh Naylor smacked a double off Skubal, stole third and scored on Mitch Garver’s sacrifice fly.
Skubal struck out the next seven batters he faced – a playoff record. He departed after six innings with 13 strikeouts. He retired the last 14 batters he faced, including a strikeout on three straight fastballs of Mariners catcher Raleigh, who led the major leagues with 60 home runs this season.
Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby pitched five scoreless innings, striking out six, but he was lifted after Javier Baez doubled to open the sixth. Reliever Gabe Speier immediately gave up a towering two-run homer to Kerry Carpenter that put the Tigers up 2-1.
The Mariners clawed back a run in the seventh as Tigers reliever Kyle Finnegan walked Polanco and Naylor’s two-out single put Polanco on second.
Tyler Holton took over on the mound and pinch-hitter Leo Rivas, in his first post-season at-bat on his 28th birthday, singled to plate Polanco and knot the score at 2-2.
It would take another eight innings to settle it as both teams’ bullpens kept the game balanced on a knife-edge.
Seattle relief pitcher Logan Gilbert gave up back to-back singles to Zach McKinstry and Dillon Dingler to open the 12th inning but Eduard Bazardo took over on the mound and worked out of a bases-loaded jam.
The Mariners put two runners on with none out in the bottom of the 12th but after Crawford’s fly out Detroit pitcher Keider Montero induced Arozarena to hit into a double play.
After Bazardo retired three straight in the top of the 13th, Detroit sent Jack Flaherty, usually a starting pitcher, to the mound.
Seattle stranded two runners in the bottom of the frame and they went to the 14th – making it the longest winner-take-all matchup in postseason history.
Dillon Dingler belted a one-out double in the top of the 14th but the Tigers couldn’t capitalise. Luis Castillo, pitching in relief for the first time in his Major League career, came in to record the final out.
Flaherty walked Victor Robles with two out in the bottom of the 14th, but Robles was caught trying to steal second base. (AFP)
