On to the ALCS: Polanco lifts Mariners over Tigers in ALDS epic

Oct 10, 2025, 10:12 PM | Updated: Oct 11, 2025, 12:24 am

Editor, Seattle Sports

The Seattle Mariners just welcomed some new ALDS Game 5 heroes into their history: Leo Rivas, Eduard Bazardo and Jorge Polanco – to name a few.

Rivas gave the Mariners new life, Bazardo kept them alive, and Polanco delivered the hit that takes them farther than they’ve been in the last 24 years after a 3-2 win in an absolute epic 15-inning war against the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

Seattle Mariners 3, Detroit Tigers 2: Box score

Polanco hit a walk-off RBI single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 15th in Game 5, putting the Mariners in the American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

JORGE POLANCO WINS IT IN THE 15TH INNING!

THE @MARINERS ARE HEADING TO THE ALCS!!! pic.twitter.com/IEb6DLrHaY

— MLB (@MLB) October 11, 2025

There won’t be much rest for the Mariners, who as the second seed now match up with the top seed and AL East champions. Game 1 at Toronto will be Sunday.

Polanco had the moment that will live in M’s history alongside Edgar Martinez’s famous double from the 1995 ALDS, but there were other key players that made his walk-off possible.

Rivas is at the top of that list, coming off the bench to hit a tying RBI single in the seventh inning. Bazardo is up there too, providing 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in extra innings, keeping the Tigers at bay.

And credit to the Mariners as a whole for beating Detroit for an incredible fourth time this season in a game started by Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, a Seattle U product and the favorite to win a second straight AL Cy Young Award this year. Not that Skubal took it easy on them. He in fact had an historic night, and the Mariners didn’t make their move until he was out of the game.

Here’s a closer look at Friday’s incredible Mariners win, which was both the longest game of the 2025 season and longest winner-take-all game in MLB history.

How it went down

Seattle struck first with Josh Naylor manufacturing a run nearly all on his own in the second inning. The Mariners first baseman doubled to the corner in left field with a check swing on a 100 mph Skubal sinker, stole third (thanks to some help from the T-Mobile Park crowd) and scored on a sac fly by Mitch Garver to deep center field.

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

The Mariners scored first in every game of the series, something done by only two other teams in a best-of-five series in MLB postseason history, according to MLB’s Sarah Langs.

Other than that, the Mariners really had no answer for Skubal. The hard-throwing left-hander went six innings, allowing just a run on two hits and no walks while striking out 13, an MLB record for a winner-take-all postseason game. Using a combination of his high-90s fastball and devastating changeup, he also set a new MLB postseason record with seven straight strikeouts, which he did from the second through fourth innings, and became just the third pitcher with 13 strikeouts and no walks in a playoff game.

Tarik Skubal's 99th pitch of the night?

101 MPH strikeout 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/RXa6u1zwfr

— MLB (@MLB) October 11, 2025

Skubal was matched by Mariners starter George Kirby, though, who did nearly all that could have been asked of him. He threw five scoreless innings before leaving with no outs and a runner on second base following a Javier Báez double that led off the sixth inning.

FIVE SCORELESS INNINGS FROM GEORGE KIRBY 🔥

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/v3tbTbznJE

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 11, 2025

The threat of Kerry Carpenter, who has crushed M’s pitching and Kirby in particular, including a two-run homer in the Tigers’ Game 1 in the series, prompted the Mariners to go to the bullpen in the fifth.

The Mariners again couldn’t find the right button to push against Carpenter.

Carpenter launched a 1-0 fastball from lefty Gabe Speier that just kept going, finding the seats in right-center for a two-run, game-changing 411-foot homer.

KERRY CARPENTER GIVES THE @TIGERS THE LEAD! #ALDS pic.twitter.com/5RTVcgF2NA

— MLB (@MLB) October 11, 2025

That closed the book on the line for Kirby, who finished with one earned run on three hits and no walks plus six strikeouts.

But with a 2-1 lead, the Tigers decided it was time to make a change on the mound – and it seemed they did the M’s a favor by letting them not have to face Skubal anymore.

Detroit put in Kyle Finnegan to start the bottom of the seventh, and Seattle put a pair of runners on with two outs after a Polanco walk and Naylor single.

Dominic Canzone, who hits left-handed, was called upon to pinch-hit for Mitch Garver. So the Tigers pulled Finnegan for lefty reliever Tyler Holton. And then the Mariners pinch-hit for the pinch-hitter, calling the number of switch-hitting rookie Leo Rivas.

And, who has shown a flair for the dramatic in limited MLB action, showed it again by lining one to left to score Polanco, tie the game and send the 47,000-plus at the park into madness.

LEO RIVAS TIES THE GAME! #ALDS pic.twitter.com/UtvwoVFoAN

— MLB (@MLB) October 11, 2025

Oh, and Friday was Rivas’ 28th birthday. Pretty good day for him.

The 2-2 score remained there for quite a while, including the 12th inning when Seattle just averted disaster.

With All-Star starter Logan Gilbert trying to give Seattle a third inning out of the bullpen, the Tigers put two on with no outs. Bazardo took over on the mound, and after a sac bunt moved the runners over, Bazardo got Báez to hit a broken-bat chopper to third baseman Eugenio Suárez, who had plenty of time to throw home for the second out. The M’s gave Carpenter an intentional walk to load the bases, and Bazardo got Gleyber Torres to fly out to right to end the threat.

GENO GETS THE RUNNER AT HOME! #ALDS pic.twitter.com/iGx1z4B6TU

— MLB (@MLB) October 11, 2025

Luis Castillo was the second member of Seattle’s starting rotation to make an unexpected appearance out of the bullpen, throwing 1 1/3 perfect innings with a strikeout.

And finally in the 15th, the Mariners put together a rally they could finish.

With Tommy Kahnle the new pitcher out of Detroit’s bullpen, J.P. Crawford led off with a single. Randy Arozarena next reached on a hit by pitch. And after Cal Raleigh lined out to center to advance the runners to second and third, Julio Rodríguez was intentionally walked to load the bases and set the stage for Polanco.

Just like in Game 2 when he homered twice to help Mariners win on a night Skubal started, Polanco emerged as the hitter who hurt Detroit the most. With the count at 3-2 and no place for Kahnle to put him, Polanco dug out a changeup and served it out to right field, sending Seattle to its first ALCS since 2001 and setting off the celebration.