Tigers Edge Mariners in Extra Innings, Castillo and Skubal Set for Playoff Rematch
SEATTLE – Kerry Carpenter’s two-run home run and Zach McKinstry’s game-winning single in the eleventh inning lifted the Detroit Tigers to a 6-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, leveling their divisional series at 1-1. The win came against Mariners’ ace Luis Castillo, setting the stage for a crucial Game 2 showdown between Castillo and Detroit’s Tarik Skubal.
This playoff matchup is a continuation of a developing rivalry between the two pitchers. Castillo (11-8, 3.54 regular season) previously defeated Skubal (3-2, 3.77 ERA, 28.2 innings pitched in five starts) in both regular season starts. However, Skubal has a career 2-4 record with a 3.95 ERA in 41 innings across seven appearances against the Mariners. The series now shifts back to Detroit, where the Tigers will look to capitalize on their momentum and take a series lead.
Seattle’s offense was largely stifled, with Julio Rodríguez hitting a solo home run and driving in both runs, but the remainder of the lineup going 0-for-28. ”A great hit of Julio, capable of generating traffic in a couple of different entries, but failed to convert as much as we wanted,” Mariners manager And Wilson said. “But, you know, I think we had good shifts to Bat. We strive to the fullest, that is what we do. This is how we handle our offensive: we got turns to the bat with intensity, but we could not get enough consecutive shifts to cause the damage we wanted.”
The winning rally for Detroit began with a walk by Spencer Torkelson, who advanced to second on a wild pitch before Carpenter’s homer tied the game. McKinstry then delivered the decisive hit with a broken-bat single, scoring Torkelson. “Getting a victory before the world’s best pitcher is very special, and I think Skubal is made for these moments, so he will be at his best,” Carpenter stated.
