SEATTLE – The Seattle mariners advanced to the American League Championship series after a dramatic 15-inning, 10-9 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday, a win that instantly impacts their pitching plans for the next round against the Toronto Blue jays. the Mariners‘ triumph was sealed after Julio Rodríguez’s single scored the winning run in the bottom of the 15th.
The game featured a dominant performance from Mariners’ left-hander Tarik Skubal, who struck out 13 batters – the most by any pitcher in a winner-take-all MLB postseason game in history. Despite Skubal’s stellar outing, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch removed him after six innings and 99 pitches. The Tigers subsequently tied the game in the seventh on Leo Rivas‘s RBI single.
“Easy decision,” Hinch explained regarding the pitching change.”After the fifth, I checked in on him, how he was doing physically and emotionally, and we both knew that he had one left. You know, he emptied his tank and obviously was emotional coming off the mound, and I think that signals exactly where we were in the game. He gave us everything he could.”
Mariners manager Scott wilson utilized multiple pitchers to secure the win, including Logan Gilbert, who tossed two scoreless innings, and luis Castillo, who added 1.1 frames. The appearance of three Mariners starting pitchers - Skubal, Gilbert, and Castillo, along with george Kirby – in Game 5 will influence the team’s pitching rotation against the Blue Jays’ well-rested staff.
The status of right-hander Bryan Woo is a potential factor. Woo was absent from the ALDS roster due to pectoral inflammation but threw a bullpen session on Friday. His return could bolster the Seattle pitching staff; he led the Mariners’ rotation during the regular season with 4.3 wins above replacement and a 2.94 ERA over 186.2 innings.
This ALCS matchup is a rematch of the 2022 AL Wild Card series, where the Mariners defeated the Blue Jays in two games, overcoming an 8-1 deficit in Game 2.
“It makes me a little emotional because these guys are unbelievable, just how much they fought tonight,” said Wilson. “We talked about it before the game, and we said that part of what makes them great is they don’t want to leave the ballpark until they win. And tonight was that. They didn’t want to leave the ballpark until they won, and they made it happen.”
The Mariners will hold an ALCS workout day at Rogers Center on Saturday, where further details regarding their pitching plans will be revealed.
