Skubal Punches Out 13 but Mariners Outlast the Tigers in 15
Two Teams, Two Escape Artists – Tigers fall to Mariners.
If you stayed up until nearly 1:30 a.m. for this one, you witnessed a war of attrition disguised as a baseball game. The Tigers and Mariners spent 15 innings defying logic — escaping jams, trading momentum, and surviving purely on adrenaline.
It felt like watching two escape artists, each slipping free from disaster until one finally couldn’t. And in the bottom of the 15th, Jorge Polanco delivered the dagger — a line drive to right that sent J.P. Crawford home and Seattle to the ALCS, while Detroit’s season ended in heartbreak.
Skubal’s Historic Night
Tarik Skubal was magnificent. Over six innings, he struck out 13 Mariners, setting a new postseason record for a winner-take-all elimination game. At one point, he fanned seven straight hitters, breaking the MLB record for consecutive strikeouts in a single postseason game.
He finished his outing with a 100.9 mph fastball for his final strikeout, showcasing the overpowering velocity that’s made him one of baseball’s brightest young arms. His changeup — labeled by analysts as the most valuable pitch in baseball — baffled hitters all night.
This was Skubal’s second historic postseason start in less than two weeks. In Game 1 of the Wild Card against Cleveland, he struck out 14, becoming the first pitcher ever with two 13+ K games in the same postseason.
It was the kind of performance that should’ve been immortalized in a win. Instead, it’ll be remembered for what came after. It will also be remembered by Tigers fans who will question why Skubal didn’t go back to the mound to start the 7th inning. With the stakes so high, you have to wonder if the outcome would have been different. We’ll never know.
From Dominance to Survival
Seattle struck first in the 2nd, with Josh Naylor scoring on a sacrifice fly. In the sixth, Detroit took a 2–1 lead when Kerry Carpenter launched a no-doubt, two-run homer off Matt Spire, who entered the game in relief of starter George Kirby. Carpenter owned Kirby on this night, and the Mariners were not going to let Carpenter see him for a 3rd time. But that edge disappeared fast.
Kyle Finnegan walked the leadoff man in the seventh, Tyler Holton gave up the game-tying hit, and from there, both teams settled into trench warfare.
Will Vest took over and controlled the eighth and ninth innings with little drama.
The Tigers’ young arms, Troy Melton and Cater Montero, had their turn and held serve. It wasn’t easy, though. Melton wiggled out of the 10th, after giving up a no-out double that was sure to end the game. But not so fast. Melton stayed calm and got a popout, a strikeout, and a ground ball (after intentionally walking Cal Raleigh), to end the inning. Montero wiggled out of a similar mess in the 12th, an inning that saw a lead-off walk, a throwing error, and a hit by pitch.
Jack Flaherty contributed two tense, scoreless innings — pacing the mound, talking to himself, living pitch-to-pitch. It was a strange sight that even the announcers couldn’t figure out. “Who was Flaherty talking to?” they asked.
They all did enough to give Detroit a chance. But no one could get the hit. The Tigers stranded runners in the 11th and 12th, each missed opportunity turning the crowd in Seattle louder and the night longer.
The 13th and 14th innings didn’t provide any scoring, and for a moment, you might have thought, “How long could this game really go on?” That question would be answered soon enough.
One Pitch, One Swing, One Ending
By the 15th inning, it was pure survival. With so much on the line, neither side wanted to go so far as to get deep into their benches or bullpens.
A.J. Hinch turned to Tommy Kahnle, the move that I’m guessing no one wanted to see, but probably expected. Hinch likely hoped the game wouldn’t last long enough to force it, yet here they were. And with one pitch, it ended.
A Crawford single, an Arozarena hit-by-pitch, and a Meadows throwing error loaded the bases after an intentional walk to Julio Rodríguez. Then came Polanco. Change-up. Line drive. Season over.
Final: Mariners 3, Tigers 2 (15 innings).
The Aftermath
Both pitching staffs did enough to win; both deserved better. In the end, it came down to a manager’s call, a bullpen stretched too far, and one change-up too many that Polanco knew was coming. And just like that, the fans in Seattle were finally rewarded for standing on their feet for 15 innings in a row.
Tiger fans, they wanted more — more magic, more moments, more October. Instead, it all came crashing down with one pitch and one swing of the bat that sent the Mariners on to face Toronto in the ACLS. The Tigers, well, they’re headed back to Detroit, to face the reality that they just weren’t good enough this year to get it done. It will be a long offseason, and many personnel decisions will need to be made. But for now, we’ll have to accept what was a wild ride during the 2025 Tiger baseball season.
Final Thoughts: The Long Winter Ahead
Baseball doesn’t always give you the ending you want, but it always reminds you why you care. This one hurts — there’s no other way to say it. The Tigers battled, clawed, and hung around until there was nothing left to give.
The sting of it will last for a while, but it won’t last forever. The winter will pass, and soon enough, another season will be here — a few new faces, some familiar ones, and another chance to chase something bigger. That’s baseball. It’s cruel, it’s beautiful, and somehow, it always pulls you back.
