Rapid Reaction: Polanco’s Walk-Off Single Propels Mariners Past Tigers in 15-Inning Thriller to Clinch ALCS Berth
In a near five-hour baseball extravaganza with over 500 pitches thrown and 15 pitchers used, the Seattle Mariners advanced to the ALCS for the first time since 2001 with a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers in 15 innings with veteran infielder Jorge Polanco emerging as the hero with a walkoff RBI single that sent a sellout T-Mobile Park crowd into a frenzy.
Here are four takeaways from the marathon that saw the Mariners move on:
Polanco Snaps Streak of Poor Situational Hitting on Both Sides
The bottom of the 15th inning began in a familiar fashion for those who watched this marathon in its entirety. The leadoff man in JP Crawford got on with a smooth single to right off reliever Tommy Kahnle, but the question was, could he finally be the one to be brought around to score? Well, the next batter, Randy Arozarena, was plunked on the first pitch, bringing Cal Raleigh to the dish with ducks on the pond and no one out.
Raleigh lined a changeup off the plate to centerfielder Parker Meadows, who had to go back on the ball, which allowed Crawford to move up to third. But Meadows’ throw was in between second base and the cutoff man, and the bouncing ball in from center allowed Arozarena to scoot to second base, forcing Tigers manager AJ Hinch to walk Julio Rodríguez intentionally to load the bases with one out.
It set the table for Polanco, who worked a 3-2 count before lining a sharp single through the right side and bringing Crawford, the longest-tenured Mariner, in from third to score the winning run.
Although credit should be given to the pitching staffs on both sides, the Tigers and Mariners weren’t without their fair share of chances to take the lead earlier in this game. Seattle was 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners in the game, while Detroit was 1-for-9 and left 10 men on base. In each of the three innings leading up to the 15th, the Mariners got baserunners on, including getting a man to second with none out in the 12th and 13th, but couldn’t score them, plagued by strikeouts and double play balls.
Bullpens Brawl Once Again
There were all hands on deck in a win-or-go-home matchup, and Game 5 of the ALDS saw three starting pitchers total for both teams see action as the game continued to push on. The Mariners ‘pen went 10 innings, allowing one run over five hits, walking four, and striking out 11 batters. The Tigers’ bullpen worked 8 1/3 innings, surrendered two runs and six hits, while walking seven and striking out three.
Detroit also induced two huge double plays in the 12th and 13th innings to get out of those jams with runners on and extend the game. It was truly a valiant, gutsy effort from both sides in a battle to see who would blink first, and in the end, it was Detroit.
Kerry Carpenter Continued to Haunt the Mariners
Much was made about the matchup between Kerry Carpenter and George Kirby coming into the game, and for good reason. The Tigers’ lefty slugger entered Game 5 of the ALDS boasting a 5-for-11 clip in his career versus Kirby, with all five hits being homers. This prompted Detroit manager AJ Hinch to slide Carpenter up to the leadoff spot, ensuring he would get the most at-bats against Kirby and force Seattle’s skipper, Dan Wilson, to pull the plug as early as possible on his starter.
Even with Carpenter’s ownage of Kirby continuing in this game, as he collected hits in both plate appearances against him – each registering exit velocities over 105 mph, Kirby quieted the rest of the Tigers lineup. He got through five innings without allowing a run and headed out for the sixth with Carpenter due up second in the frame. But Kirby hung one of his many sliders on the night, and Javier Báez banged it into left-center field for a hustle leadoff double. It would’ve been interesting to see if Wilson left him in without any traffic on the bases, but the immediate runner in scoring position gave him no choice.
Wilson brought in southpaw Gabe Speier to get his desired lefty-lefty matchup, but it backfired on the Mariners in the worst way. Speier’s appearance in Game 5 was his fourth relief outing of the series, and after allowing two runs in 2/3 of an inning in Game 4, it seemed the Tigers got progressively more comfortable against the left-hander. After missing with a first-pitch four-seamer inside, Speier threw another fastball that split the plate, and Carpenter clobbered it over the wall in right-center for his second home run of the ALDS. It was a towering two-run blast that left the bat at 105.5 mph.
Carpenter went on to reach base in six of his seven plate appearances, as he finished 4-for-5 with a couple of walks. He was finally retired in the top of the 15th when Luis Castillo struck him out on high cheese.
Kirby was cruising and exited from the game with only 66 pitches thrown. In Wilson’s mind, he couldn’t let that daunted faceoff of Kirby against Carpenter doom his team like it did in Game 1. But the repeated times he went to the well with Speier might’ve countered that move in itself.
Kirby and Skubal Deliver On the Mound
In a winner-take-all game 5, Kirby and Tarik Skubal gave their respective clubs about as much as they could have asked for from their starters.
Likely never going to face Tigers leadoff man Kerry Carpenter a third time, Kirby struck out six Tigers and allowed just three hits, while not walking a batter. His run allowed was when his inherited runner, Báez, scored on the Carpenter homer.
The biggest adjustment was Kirby leaning heavily into his slider. Half of his offerings were on the slide-piece, a different trend from Kirby, who usually hangs his hat on his fastballs. Out of the 15 outs he got, only one of them was in the air. Aside from Cal Raleigh throwing a perfect seed down to second base to nab Colt Keith attempting to steal second in the fourth, Kirby either induced a ground ball out or sat Detroit hitters down on strikes on the outs he recorded.
On the other side, Tarik Skubal showed why he is all but written in pen to win his second straight AL Cy Young Award. Even though he went seven innings of two-run ball in his Game 2 start, Skubal stepped up his dominance in the final game of the ALDS. Utilizing his put-away changeup – one of the best pitches in baseball, Skubal punched out 13 Mariners while only surrendering two hits and a run in six frames of work. If it wasn’t for Josh Naylor taking an ’excuse-me’ swing on a 100-mph sinker the other way for a one-out double in the second and coming around to score, Skubal would’ve been nearly perfect on the night.
Just like Kirby, it was a controversial decision for Hinch to pull Skubal. The Tigers’ ace finished the sixth with 99 pitches, and he retired the last 14 batters he faced, including a stretch where he struck out seven in a row. Lifting your pitcher who is cruising to that extent will always bring extra attention, but with the game playing out as it did, who knows the impact if Skubal stayed in for the seventh?
Up Next
After the Mariners celebrate in their clubhouse with champagne and relish in their historic victory Friday night, the conversation will very quickly turn to how the team will manage their series against the top-seeded Toronto Blue Jays. With Game 1 of the ALCS scheduled for Sunday and a litany of pitchers used to finish the job and advance to that point, what is the pitching plan after using Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo in this game? Will Bryan Woo be on the roster?
These are questions that must be answered, but for now, Seattle can cherish this historic moment.
