The Detroit Tigers lost to the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Friday, ending their postseason run in a historic 15-inning winner-takes-all ALDS Game 5 at T-Mobile Park.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal had Seattle spinning in circles, setting a new postseason record with seven consecutive strikeouts from the second inning’s last out to the fourth inning’s final out. In six innings, he struck out 13 Mariners, the most ever by a starting pitcher in a winner-take-all postseason game. Skubal allowed just one run on two hits with zero walks while throwing 99 pitches, averaging 16.5 pitches per inning. His magic wore off in the fifth when George Kirby got the Tigers out in order, keeping the game neck-and-neck heading into the crucial sixth.
Skubal wasn't the only one who had a historic outing. His teammate Kerry Carpenter also made history, blasting a two-run homer off left-handed reliever Gabe Speier to give Detroit a 2-1 lead. The 411-foot shot was his first home run against a lefty in the postseason. Carpenter also added singles in the first, third, eleventh, and eighth innings, finishing the game 5-for-5 with a walk. He became the first MLB player since Babe Ruth in 1926 (World Series Game 7) to reach base five times and hit a home run in a winner-take-all postseason game, according to OptaSTATS.
The game began with the Mariners striking first in the second inning. Josh Naylor doubled to deep left, stole third, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Mitch Garver, putting Seattle ahead 1-0. Skubal kept the Tigers in the game, dispatching six more batters across the next innings before exiting after Carpenter’s homer.
Detroit’s bullpen was unable to hold the lead. Kyle Finnegan issued a walk to Jorge Polanco in the seventh, followed by a two-out single from Josh Naylor. Lefty Tyler Holton faced pinch-hitter Leo Rivas, making his postseason debut on his 28th birthday, who singled to tie the game 2-2. The Tigers threatened in extras but stranded multiple baserunners in the eleventh, thirteenth, and fourteenth innings. The Mariners finally ended the marathon in the 15th when Jorge Polanco singled off right-hander Tommy Kahnle to score the walk-off run.
Detroit missed out in a winner-take-all ALDS game for the second consecutive year, finishing the series 2-3. Meanwhile, Seattle advances to the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays, beginning Sunday at Rogers Centre, while the Tigers head into the offseason and will return to action on Opening Day 2026 in San Diego.
