Mariners advance to first ALCS since 2001 after 15-inning win
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If you made it through to the decisive Game 5 between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers, it was worth every second.
In a game that lasted nearly five hours and ended after 1 a.m. ET, the Mariners are advancing to their first American League Championship Series in 24 years after a 3-2 victory in a 15-inning marathon.
Both teams were held scoreless from the top of the eighth inning to the top of the 15th, but the Mariners eventually used Jorge Polanco’s bases-loaded single to send them to the ALCS and end the longest winner-take-all game in history.
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Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (7) is celebrated by his teammates after hitting a single against the Detroit Tigers in the 15th inning during Game 5 of the American League Division Series at T-Mobile Park. (Steven Bisig/Imagn Images)
Detroit wasted a stellar performance by Tarik Skubal, who scored 13 points while making six shots in one shot. The soon-to-be two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was ejected from the game with a 2-1 lead, and the Tigers’ bullpen quickly allowed the tying series in the seventh inning.
It didn’t help matters that the Tigers went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and gave up 10 strikeouts, with their only two runs coming on Kerry Carpenter’s two-run home run in the sixth. Seattle wasn’t much better, coming off a dozen, but they were the ones who got through it.
The phrase “everyone is available in October” was used very well. After both starters George Kirby and Skubal left the game, three other starting pitchers were used. The Tigers got Jack Flaherty to pitch two innings on two days of rest, while both Logan Gilbert (also two days) and winning pitcher Luis Castillo got some action.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco hits a single against the Detroit Tigers in the 15th inning of Game 5 of the American League Division Series at T-Mobile Park. (Steven Bisig/Imagn Images)
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“I know we played a long game, but this team never gave up,” Polanco said. “I know there’s a lot of emotion, but we always try to keep it simple. I’m just trying to go out there and play and get the win.”
“An incredible game from start to finish,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said.
“It was a very tough night,” Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh said. “Everyone, including Logan and Luis, put their other work aside and did everything for the team.” This was Gilbert’s first charity drive since 2017, when he was at Stetson University.
Detroit’s season officially ended in heartbreak, with a touch of what could have been, as this series was probably supposed to take place in Michigan. The Tigers held a double-digit lead in the AL Central in early September but squandered it. They salvaged it by beating the Cleveland Guardians, who hosted the Wild Card Series after moving past Detroit in the standings, but that’s certainly how they dreamed of returning home now.
Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene watches Seattle Mariners players celebrate on the field following the Tigers’ 3-2 loss in 15 innings on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. (Junfu Han/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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The Mariners will now face the Toronto Blue Jays for the pennant, and an entire generation of fans will see one of these teams in the World Series for the first time. The Blue Jays haven’t appeared in the Fall Classic since 1993, while the Mariners have never advanced past the ALCS.
Game 1 is Sunday in Toronto at 8:03 PM ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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