It took 15 innings, but for the first time in 25 years, the Seattle Mariners are headed to the American League Championship Series after a 3-2 Game 5 win over the Detroit Tigers in Friday’s AL Division Series.
With the bases loaded, Jorge Polanco singled to right in the bottom of the 15th, driving in the walk-off run and sending the longest-tenured Mariner, J.P. Crawford, across the plate, propelling Seattle to the ALCS.
No. 2 Seattle will now face the No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays, who have been awaiting their opponent since defeating the New York Yankees 3-1 in the ALDS on Wednesday.
Luis Rivas finished 1-of-3 at the plate with one RBI, Mitch Garver added a RBI and Polanco drove in the game-winning run. Jonathan Naylor, Crawford and Polanco each crossed home plate once.
Mariners ace George Kirby set the tone with a dominant outing, recording six strikeouts over five innings while allowing three hits and one earned run.
The Mariners and their key players thrilled fans with a historic walk-off win in the 15th inning.
Seattle struck first as Garver hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Josh Naylor, giving the Mariners a 1-0 lead after two innings.
Starter Kirby was pulled after five innings, at the top of the sixth after allowing a double to Báez, just before Carpenter came to the plate. Reliever Gabe Speier entered and immediately gave up a 411-foot, two-run home run, putting the Tigers ahead 2-1.
Seattle’s Rivas singled in the seventh, driving in a run to tie the game at 2-2 and sending the home crowd into a frenzy that carried into extra innings.
After holding Detroit scoreless in the top of the 10th, Seattle’s Victor Robles reached second on a double with no outs, but the Tigers escaped and ended the threat.
Seattle faced a tense moment in the top of the 12th, as Eugenio Suarez made a perfect throw to prevent a Detroit run at home plate. After an intentional walk to Carpenter loaded the bases, the Mariners managed to escape the inning unscathed.
Polanco’s 15th-inning RBI sealed the Mariners’ victory to send them to the ALCS.
Game 1 of the ALCS is scheduled for Sunday, with first pitch set for 8:03 p.m. ET.
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