Tigers vs. Mariners ALDS Game 2 starting lineups and pitching matchup

SEATTLE –- The Mariners wonâ€t face elimination when they take the field for Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Sunday night, but a loss could be catastrophic in their pursuit of advancing in this best-of-five round.

“We didn’t steal it. We earned it,†Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I think it was important for us to play this game that was in front of us, and we did a really good job. That was an incredible game.”

Added Mariners manager Dan Wilson: “One of our strengths is bouncing back, and we have to do that, and Skubal is a guy, obviously, that we have seen a couple of times this year. … We’ve got to come out tomorrow and come right back at him and bounce back.â€

If the opening act in this ALDS offered a hint to whatâ€s in store, Game 2 could be another thriller.

When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 2 between the Mariners and Tigers will be at 8:08 p.m. ET/5:08 p.m. PT on FS1. All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games also are available live internationally, although not in Canada. Sportsnet is MLB’s exclusive English language broadcaster in Canada for every Postseason game, while TVA Sports will be covering the entire AL Postseason and the World Series in French and Broadcaster RDS will cover the entire NL Postseason in French.

That the former Seattle University star has a chance to do it in his old college town makes it more special.

“This city means a lot to me,†Skubal said. “Obviously I spent four years here. I was born in California, raised in Arizona, but I feel like I kind of grew up here in college, getting independent. So this place will always have a special place in my heart.â€

That said, the Mariners beat Skubal twice in as many meetings this season, with seven runs scored over 10 2/3 total innings.

Mariners: The Mariners will give the ball to Luis Castillo (11-8, 3.54 ERA) for his fourth career postseason start. He made two in Seattleâ€s 2022 run and one in 2020 with Cincinnati, but this is his first at home. Heâ€s been his best self at T-Mobile Park this season, with a 2.60 ERA at home, compared to a 4.71 ERA on the road.

Castillo is coming off his hottest stretch of the year to finish the regular season, going 3-0 with a 1.07 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 25 1/3 innings across four starts.

“The Rock†has faced Detroit twice in 2025. In the second series of the season, he posted seven innings of two-run ball — opposite Skubal — to earn the win at home. In July at Comerica Park, the Tigers tagged him for three runs on six hits in five-plus innings, though the Mariners went on to win the game, 12-3.

What might the starting lineups look like?
Tigers: Though Hinch rarely sticks with the same lineup, heâ€s likely to roll with the same order as long as they keep winning. Kerry Carpenter as a focal point in the order makes sense in a park where he has slugged four home runs in seven career games.

Mariners: Even amid personnel fluctuations throughout the regular season, Wilson deployed a much more consistent daily lineup based on who was on the roster. And that will likely remain in the playoffs, with the only factors changing based on the opposing pitcherâ€s handedness. The Mariners have been turning to the same Nos. 1-3 guys in all but two games since the Trade Deadline.

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Tigers: The good news for the Tigers bullpen is that they usually donâ€t get many innings to fill when Skubal is starting. Thatâ€s particularly helpful after they covered seven innings in Game 1. Will Vest pitched two innings to get the win in Game 1 but threw just 19 pitches to do it, so he should be available for a potential save in Game 2. In fact, none of the seven relievers in Game 1 threw 20 pitches. Lefties Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter threw nine and seven pitches, respectively. Sinkerballer Brenan Hanifee was the only reliever who didnâ€t pitch.

Mariners: Seattle ran through all of its high-leverage arms on Saturday, with Eduard Bazardo, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash and Andrés Muñoz all taking the hill in a losing effort, along with Caleb Ferguson and Carlos Vargas. Muñoz went two innings for the first time in over seven years, though he only needed to throw 25 pitches to get his six outs — and he had the highest workload of the group.

That leaves Luke Jackson, Emerson Hancock and Bryce Miller as the only completely fresh arms in the bullpen — though if Miller comes on in relief, it could impact his ability to possibly start one of the later games in the series.

But all of Seattleâ€s relievers have experience working back-to-back days, and with a travel day on the horizon Monday, as Muñoz said: “Itâ€s the playoffs, weâ€re going to try to push a bit more to get the win.â€

Mariners: The Mariners already know that theyâ€ll be without Bryan Woo (pectoral inflammation) for this ALDS after not including him on their 26-man roster. However, Wilson said that the 2025 All-Star will continue to go through his throwing progression — which included light catch play in the outfield ahead of Game 1 — with the hope that he could return to the AL Championship Series, should the Mariners advance.

Who is hot and who is not?
Tigers: Carpenter continues to feel at home at T-Mobile Park, where he has four career homers in seven games. He has reached base safely in all but one of his 11 career postseason games, batting 10-for-32 with two homers, seven RBIs and five walks. … Greene is batting 6-for-16 this postseason, including consecutive multihit games.

Mariners: Rodríguez picked up right where he left off in the regular season by going 3-for-5 with a homer and RBI single in Game 1, accounting for each of the Mariners†only two runs. In seven games against Detroit this year, heâ€s now 11-for-27 (.407) with four homers, two doubles, one triple and nine RBIs, good for a 1.529 OPS. As for whoâ€s not, Suárez is now hitting .154 with a .554 OPS in 85 plate appearances since his two-homer game in Atlanta on Sept. 7.

Anything else fans might want to know?
Tigers: The Tigers have homered in consecutive postseason games for the first time since Oct. 2-3, 2014, against the Orioles in the AL Division Series.

Mariners: Theyâ€re still seeking their first postseason win at home since Oct. 15, 2001, their series-clinching win in Game 5 of that yearâ€s ALDS over Cleveland. Since then, and obviously accounting for their 21-year playoff drought that ensued, theyâ€ve lost their past four playoff games at T-Mobile Park.

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