Honestly, if you stayed up for the whole thing, you probably need a nap. Or a medal.
The Mariners Tigers Game 5 wasn't just a baseball game; it was an endurance test that stretched into the early hours of Saturday morning. By the time Jorge Polanco’s single finally found grass in the bottom of the 15th inning, T-Mobile Park wasn't just loud—it was relieved.
Seattle is moving on to the ALCS for the first time since 2001. That’s 24 years of waiting, all punctuated by a 3-2 victory that felt like it lasted a week. This was officially the longest winner-take-all game in the history of Major League Baseball. Think about that. In over a century of postseason drama, these two teams found a way to push the limit further than anyone else.
Why Mariners Tigers Game 5 was absolute chaos
The tension started long before the 15th inning. In fact, for the first five frames, it looked like a classic pitchers' duel. George Kirby was deals, throwing five scoreless innings on just 66 pitches. Then, things got weird.
Seattle manager Dan Wilson made a call that almost cost them the season. He pulled Kirby after a Javier Baez double in the sixth. Enter Gabe Speier. Two pitches later, Kerry Carpenter—who Detroit fans have started calling "Kerry Ruth"—launched a two-run bomb into the right-center seats.
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Suddenly, it was 2-1 Detroit. The stadium went quiet. You could almost feel the "here we go again" energy radiating from the Seattle faithful.
But this 2025 Mariners team is built different. They scratched back in the seventh. Leo Rivas, a late substitution who hadn't even had a postseason at-bat yet, lined an RBI single to tie it up. From that point on, both offenses basically vanished into the Pacific Northwest mist.
The pitching heroics nobody expected
When a game goes 15 innings, the "script" goes out the window. We saw things you just don't see in modern baseball.
- Tarik Skubal was a monster: The Tigers' ace struck out seven batters in a row at one point, a new postseason record. He finished with 13 strikeouts over six innings. Detroit fans will be wondering for years why they couldn't give him more than two runs of support.
- The "Starter" Relief: Seattle threw the kitchen sink at Detroit. Luis Castillo, the staff leader, came out of the bullpen for the first time in his MLB career. He threw 1.1 innings of perfect relief to get the win.
- Logan Gilbert's Cameo: Gilbert also jumped in for two scoreless innings. He hadn't pitched in relief since he was a college kid at Stetson in 2017.
Detroit used eight pitchers. Seattle used seven. By the 14th inning, both managers were looking at their remaining arms like they were checking a near-empty gas tank on a highway with no exits.
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What most people got wrong about the finish
A lot of the post-game chatter is focused on the walk-off, but the 12th inning was where the game was actually won and lost.
Detroit had the bases loaded. The Mariners intentionally walked Carpenter to get to Gleyber Torres. It was a massive gamble. One mistake, and the season is over. But Eduard Bazardo induced a flyout, and the threat evaporated. If the Tigers score there, they’re likely celebrating in the clubhouse while Seattle fans search for their car keys in silence.
Instead, we got the 15th. J.P. Crawford reached. The bases got loaded. And Jorge Polanco, who had already been the hero earlier in the series with two homers off Skubal in Game 2, saw a 3-2 heater from Tommy Kahnle and didn't miss.
The ball zipped through the right side. Crawford crossed the plate. The drought ended.
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The Kerry Carpenter Factor
We have to talk about Kerry Carpenter. Even in a loss, what he did was historic. He reached base six times in Game 5. He went 4-for-5 with two walks and that massive home run.
According to OptaSTATS, he’s the first player to reach base five times and hit a home run in a winner-take-all game since Babe Ruth did it in 1926. Think about the names that have played this game in the last 100 years. Mantle, Mays, Jeter, Bonds. None of them did what Carpenter did on Friday night. It’s a small consolation for Detroit, but it cements him as a cornerstone for whatever they build next.
Practical takeaways for the ALCS
The Mariners are moving on to face the Blue Jays, but they aren't coming in fresh. Here is what they need to figure out before Game 1:
- The Bullpen Tax: Every high-leverage arm in Seattle’s pen is fried. They have Saturday off, but pitching 15 innings in an elimination game is a massive physical and emotional drain.
- Top of the Order Slump: Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, and Randy Arozarena went a combined 1-for-21 in this game. You can't win a pennant if your three best hitters are ice cold.
- The Bryan Woo Health Check: Reports are swirling that Woo might be ready for the ALCS after missing this series with a pec injury. If he can't go, the rotation is in a world of hurt after Gilbert and Castillo were used in relief.
The Mariners Tigers Game 5 will go down as a "where were you" moment for Seattle sports. It wasn't pretty. It was long, stressful, and at times, downright boring as both teams traded strikeouts for three hours. But for a city that hasn't seen a deep October run in a generation, it was perfect.
Actionable Next Steps:
Keep an eye on the official injury report for Bryan Woo over the next 24 hours. His availability completely changes how the Mariners can structure their rotation against Toronto. Also, watch for the roster move Seattle makes to bring in a fresh arm for the bullpen; they almost certainly have to swap out a position player or a tired reliever before Game 1.