Josh Naylor, crowd noise make early mark on Game 5 for Mariners

SEATTLE – The Josh Naylor effect was on full display early on in the Seattle Mariners’ deciding Game 5 of the American League Division Series on Friday night.

So was the deafening home crowd at T-Mobile Park.

Griffey makes entrance you have to see for Mariners’ Game 5

In the bottom of the second inning, the lefty-hitting Naylor reached out to make contact with a 1-2 sinker from Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. Naylor got just enough on the 100.2 mph pitch, serving a check-swing double into the left-field corner.

MAKING 👏 THINGS 👏 HAPPEN 👏 #SeizeTheMoment pic.twitter.com/fwd7fHWdEu

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 11, 2025

Then, during the ensuing at-bat, Naylor stole third on a 1-1 pitch to designated hitter Mitch Garver. Naylor built a massive lead, getting halfway to third base before Skubal released the pitch.

Detroit’s infield appeared to be yelling at Skubal to step off the rubber, but the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner didn’t seem to hear his teammates amid a roaring crowd that has this winner-take-all elimination game feeling like a Seattle Seahawks playoff game across the street.

Josh Naylor set up that first @Mariners run with a gutsy steal of third base 😎 pic.twitter.com/fomwtQBkTK

— MLB (@MLB) October 11, 2025

Naylor’s steal proved massive, as Garver then lined a 2-2 fastball into center field for a sacrifice fly that brought home Naylor for a 1-0 lead.

Mitch Garver pushes across the first run of Game 5! #ALDS pic.twitter.com/TJ9rFcEcxz

— MLB (@MLB) October 11, 2025

According to MLB.com researcher Sarah Langs, it was the first time all season a player had attempted to steal third off Skubal.

Naylor, who the Mariners acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trade deadline, stole 19 bases in 54 games with Seattle during the regular season. It was an out-of-nowhere development, as he’d previously never had more than 10 steals in a season since entering the majors in 2019.

Naylor finished with 20 home runs and 30 steals this season between Seattle and Arizona, which made him just the fourth first baseman in MLB history to record a 20-30 season.

Naylor was 0 for 13 through the first three games of the ALDS. But he had a big performance in Seattle’s Game 4 loss, going 3 for 4 with a double, two runs scored and a nifty unassisted double play at first base.

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