Mariners Advance to ALCS After marathon 15-Inning Victory Over Tigers
Seattle, WA – October 11, 2025 – In a postseason game for the ages, the seattle Mariners edged the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in 15 innings, securing their first appearance in the American League Championship Series in 24 years. The epic battle, lasting 4 hours and 58 minutes, featured a remarkable 16 pitchers and set a new Major League Baseball record for the longest playoff game in history, surpassing the 13-inning contest between the Rockies and Cubs in 2018.
The Mariners drew first blood in the second inning when Josh Naylor doubled to left field and subsequently stole third base. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Mitch Garver. However, Tigers ace Tarik Skubal quickly settled in, delivering a dominant performance. He struck out seven consecutive batters, establishing a new postseason record for consecutive strikeouts and becoming the first pitcher ever to record at least 13 strikeouts in two playoff games. Skubal pitched six innings, allowing just one run on one hit while racking up 13 strikeouts and issuing no walks.
Detroit responded in the sixth inning, taking a 2-1 lead on a double by Javier Báez and a two-run home run from Kerry Carpenter. Though the tigers maintained the lead when Skubal exited the game, their bullpen faltered in the seventh. Relief pitcher Tyler Holton surrendered a single to Leo Rivas, a pinch hitter celebrating his birthday, which tied the game.
Rivas, 28, became only the third player in MLB postseason history – and the first as 1993 – to record a pinch-hit in a playoff game on his birthday. It was his first-ever postseason at-bat. the hit ignited the Mariners and propelled the game into extra innings.
The ensuing innings where a tense back-and-forth affair. Both teams squandered opportunities, with the Mariners utilizing three starting pitchers – Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo among them – to navigate several bases-loaded situations. The Tigers, meanwhile, repeatedly left runners stranded.
The decisive moment came in the bottom of the 15th inning. Jesse Polanco delivered a ground-ball single to right-center field, scoring the winning run and sending the Mariners to the ALCS.
The combined stat line for the two teams included 18 hits and 23 bases on balls. The Mariners will now face the Eastern Conference champions for a chance to compete in the World Series. For the Tigers, the loss marks the end of a promising season, leaving star player Steve Schoop without the support needed to advance.
(Original Tweet Included for Context):
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>✨ #SeizeTheMoment ✨ <a href="https://t.co/kjSgzKbdzZ">pic.twitter.com/kjSgzKbdzZ</a></p>- Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mariners/status/1976895275072672243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>