In the high-stakes world of Major League Baseball playoffs, few moments capture the raw grit of the game like a marathon showdown that stretches into the wee hours. On October 10, 2025, the Seattle Mariners outlast Tigers epic in a 15-inning marathon at T-Mobile Park, clinching ALDS Game 5 with a 3-2 walk-off victory. This winner-take-all contest, the longest do-or-die playoff game in MLB history, ended with Jorge Polanco’s clutch single, propelling Seattle to the ALCS for the first time since 2001. The five-hour battle showcased the Mariners’ resilience and bullpen mastery, captivating fans with clutch plays and heart-stopping moments. Here’s how this historic showdown unfolded, redefining October baseball with unrelenting drama.
Mariners Outlast Tigers Epic: A Series Defined by Momentum Swings
The ALDS between the Mariners and Tigers had been a rollercoaster from the jump. Detroit struck first in Game 1, grinding out a 3-2 extra-innings win behind Zach McKinstry’s clutch single in the 11th. Seattle fired back in Game 2, evening the series with a 3-2 triumph fueled by Julio Rodríguez’s tiebreaking double in the eighth. By Game 3, the Mariners seized a lead, showcasing their home-field edge in Seattle. However, the Tigers refused to fade. In Game 4 at Comerica Park, Detroit erupted for a 9-3 rout, powered by home runs from Riley Greene and Javier Báez in a four-run sixth inning that turned the tide. Báez’s multi-hit performance, including a homer and stolen base, drove in four runs and forced a decisive Game 5.
This back-and-forth set the tone for a do-or-die clash. The Tigers, managed by A.J. Hinch, leaned on their “sum-of-the-parts” philosophy—relying on depth rather than stars. Meanwhile, Seattle’s Dan Wilson emphasized resilience, drawing parallels to the team’s infamous 18-inning loss to Houston in 2022. With Tarik Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, toeing the rubber for Detroit, and George Kirby starting for Seattle, expectations soared. Yet, as the game unfolded, it became less about aces and more about who could simply survive.
Mariners Outlast Tigers Epic: Pitching Duels and Near-Misses
Game 5 kicked off with fireworks—or rather, a spark. In the bottom of the second, Mitch Garver’s RBI single gave Seattle a quick 1-0 lead off Skubal. But the Tigers ace settled in, racking up 13 strikeouts, including a postseason-record seven in a row. Kirby matched him stride for stride, tossing five scoreless innings with six strikeouts, his fastball humming at 97 mph thanks to playoff adrenaline.
The sixth inning shattered the stalemate. After Kirby departed, reliever Gabe Speier served up a two-run homer to Kerry Carpenter, who feasted on Mariners pitching with four hits and his sixth-inning blast putting Detroit ahead 2-1. Carpenter’s hot streak against Seattle—now 7-for-13 with five homers lifetime—loomed large. But the Mariners clawed back in the bottom half. Rodríguez’s opposite-field single tied it at 2-2, stranding runners after a bases-loaded threat. From there, the game devolved into a pitchers’ purgatory.
Extras brought chaos. Logan Gilbert and Eduard Bazardo combined for heroic relief stints, with Bazardo striking out the side in the 13th amid bases-loaded jams. The Tigers loaded the bags twice, only for Seattle’s defense to shine—Eugenio Suárez’s tag-out at home in the 10th and double plays in the 12th and 14th snuffed out rallies. Detroit’s Jack Flaherty walked Cal Raleigh and Rodríguez in the 13th, but a twin killing preserved the tie. Every inning felt like a coin flip, with 472 pitches thrown by game’s end—the most in any playoff contest. Fatigue set in, yet neither side blinked.
Bullpen Battles: The Unsung Heroes
What made the Mariners outlast Tigers wasn’t star power but bullpen depth. Seattle’s arms—Matt Brash, Bazardo, and others—logged career-long outings, holding Detroit to one run over nine innings after the sixth. For Detroit, rookie Troy Melton delivered four scoreless frames in relief, and seven hurlers followed, but small miscues—like passed balls and intentional walks—piled up. Hinch’s crew escaped jams, but Seattle’s opportunistic base-running, led by J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena, kept pressure on. This wasn’t flashy baseball; it was trench warfare, where every out mattered.
The Climax: Polanco’s Walk-Off Glory
Dawn approached Seattle as the 15th inning dawned—now the longest winner-take-all game ever, eclipsing classics like the 1916 World Series. Tigers reliever Tommy Kahnle faced a loaded bases scenario after walks to Raleigh and Rodríguez, plus Crawford’s hustle double. With one out, Polanco—hero of Game 2—laced a single through the right side, scoring Crawford for the 3-2 win. T-Mobile Park erupted, fans spilling onto the field in jubilation. Polanco’s clutch hit capped a night where Seattle stranded 15 runners but converted when it counted most.
For the Tigers, heartbreak. Skubal’s gem (13 K’s, 2.08 ERA in the series) went for naught amid sparse offense—four hits total in Game 5. Carpenter’s efforts weren’t enough against a Mariners squad that refused to fold.
Mariners Outlast Tigers Epic: Mariners’ Resurgent October
This victory marks a turning point for Seattle, starved for playoff success since Ichiro’s heyday. Advancing to face the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS—starting October 12 at Rogers Centre—the Mariners carry momentum from a series that showcased their growth under Wilson. Rodríguez, Raleigh, and Polanco form a core blending youth and experience, while the bullpen’s poise signals contender status.
The Mariners outlast Tigers not just in innings, but in spirit. As Wilson quipped postgame, it was like “15 rounds in the ring.” For Detroit, it’s a valiant exit, building on their wild-card run. Yet in baseball’s theater, Seattle’s encore steals the show. As the ALCS looms, one thing’s certain: these Mariners are built for the long haul.
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