Mariners pip Tigers in record 15-inning epic to reach first ALCS in 24 years | MLB
Jorge Polanco singled into right field with one out and the bases were loaded in the 15th inning, giving the Seattle Mariners a 3-2 victory over the visiting Detroit Tigers Friday in the deciding Game 5 of the American League Division Series.
Luis Castillo (1-0), making the first relief appearance of his major league career, pitched one and a third innings for the win, which put the Mariners in the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2001.
Seattle will face the Blue Jays for the pennant in a 1977 expansion game. The first game is scheduled for Sunday in Toronto.
JP Crawford led off in the bottom of the 15th with a line drive single just past Tommy Kahnle (0-1). Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch before Cal Raleigh flied out, with Crawford taking third following 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 it at 2-2 in the seventh on pinch hitter Leo Rivas’ RBI single.
Both teams threatened several times in extra innings, with the Mariners launching into inning-ending double plays in the 12th and 13th.
Starters Tarik Skubal of Detroit and George Kirby of Seattle battled in the top of the inning.
Skubal, the favorite to win a second straight Cy Young Award, allowed one run on two hits and no walks in six innings with 13 strikeouts. He set a major league postseason record with seven consecutive outs, fanning Victor Robles to end the second inning and striking out the side in the third and fourth.
The only point given to Skubal came in the second half. Josh Naylor lined an opposite-way 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 returning the ball to the bullpen.
The Mariners tied it in the seventh. Polanco drew the game with one out against reliever Kyle Finnegan and Naylor singled with two outs to right, with Polanco stopping at second. After pinch hitter Dominic Canzone was announced, the Tigers turned to left-hander Tyler Holton.
The Mariners countered with Rivas, who was celebrating his 28th birthday. Rivas lined a single to left to score Polanco and make it 2-2.
Kirby led off with five scoreless innings before Javier Baez lined a double to center in the sixth. With the arrival of left-hander Carpenter, Mariners manager Dan Wilson chose to turn to Gabe Speier. That was largely due to Carpenter hitting five home runs 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 messed up the strategy, hitting a 1-0 fastball right down the middle 411 feet into the stands in right center field to give Detroit the lead.
Kirby went five-plus innings and was charged with one run on three hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
