The Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers gave everything they had in what was an instant classic in T-Mobile park on Friday night. Game 5 of the American League Division Series defied logic, transcended time and oozed suspense, as the M's finally punched their ticket back to the AL Championship Series with a walk-off 3-2 win in the 15th inning. Both teams put forth an effort that perfectly encapsulated the desperation of the moment, and the pain that each fan base has endured at various points of the 21st Century.
But they were not the only ones who emptied the tank in this winner-take-all battle. Umpire Alan Porter rose to the occasion as well, calling an overall impressive game behind home plate. He posted 96 percent accuracy during the 15-inning marathon, according to the Umpire Scorecards X account.
Mariners-Tigers Game 5 earns a place in MLB history, free from disrepute
The Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System is coming to MLB in 2026, but the human element will remain. Ideally, umps will be sharp and allow the action to flow smoothly without the need for too many stoppages. Porter's performance in a playoff environment should provide skeptics with some reassurance. He did make a couple of key mistakes on borderline calls, however, which Umpire Scorecards highlighted.
Mariners infielder Leo Rivas, who notched a clutch single in the seventh inning to tie the score 2-2 (a moment that did not even occur at the midpoint, as it turned out), was awarded a ball on an 0-2 count in the bottom of the 12th. Keider Montero's knuckle curve caught the zone and should have been strike three, but instead, the birthday boy wound up drawing a lead-off walk.
Two batters later, with runners on first and second and no outs, shortstop JP Crawford took a pitch on a 3-0 count that should have been ball four but was ruled a strike. He then fouled a bunt attempt, forcing him to completely alter his approach in the at-bat. Crawford flied out and did not advance Rivas to third. Randy Arozarena grounded into a double play, as Seattle blew a surefire chance to end the series.
If the M's had won in the 12th, or if Detroit had edged out a victory later on, fans would have torn Alan Porter to shreds and once again stressed the importance of “Robo umps.” It is important to remember this was a near-five-hour game, so a couple of gaffes are essentially inevitable. Fortunately, neither the Rivas nor Crawford calls determined the outcome in the end, allowing the veteran ump to receive his own bit of October recognition.
Jorge Polanco recorded the decisive base-hit in the 15th, continuing his 2025 revival and sending the Mariners to the ALCS for the first time since 2001. An epic, tension-filled battle reached a well-earned conclusion without controversy overshadowing it. That is how postseason baseball is supposed to unfold.
Hopefully, the rest of the proceedings will be officiated at a level close to what Porter attained in The Emerald City.
