On Sunday night, it looked like the Seattle Mariners were easily on their way to tying up their ALDS matchup against the Detroit Tigers at 1-1. Jorge Polanco had Tigers ace Tarik Skubal's number, with the Mariners second baseman hitting two dingers off of the southpaw, giving them a 2-0 lead. That lead stood until the top of the eighth, when the Tigers scored two runs thanks to a game-tying double from Spencer Torkelson — sending the fans at T-Mobile Park into a state of anxiety.

The Mariners, however, would not be denied of their first win of this year's postseason. In the bottom of the eighth inning, star center fielder Julio Rodriguez regained the lead for Seattle with a double to left field, driving in Cal Raleigh with one out in the eighth after one of the favorites to win AL MVP reached base with a two-bagger of his own.

In so doing, Rodriguez reached a league of his own. As pointed out by Sarah Langs of MLB.com, the Mariners star now has an extra-base hit in five consecutive postseason games dating back to 2022. That, according to Langs, is the longest such streak in the postseason by a player aged 25 years or younger. Just as the icing on top, that streak of Rodriguez's is also the longest in franchise history.

Rodriguez hasn't had the best of campaigns in 2025, but the Mariners have to be well-pleased to see him come through for them in one of the biggest games of the season. Stealing a game against Skubal was always going to be difficult, and they were in a position to do so. Thus, if they relinquished that advantageous position, it would have been disastrous for the Mariners.

Instead, Rodriguez was clutch and he delivered in the grand postseason stage — gradually cementing himself as a premier postseason performer.

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Mariners head on the road with series tied up vs. Tigers

Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44) celebrates after hitting an RBI double against the Detroit Tigers in the eighth inning during game two of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park.
Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Everything was lining up for the Tigers to take a 2-09 lead into Comerica Park in their ALDS clash against the Mariners. Skubal is a nightmare to face, and for the most part on Sunday night, he was. Thankfully for the Mariners, they had Polanco, then of the Minnesota Twins, as an experienced hitter against Skubal, and that experience paid off so much.

These two teams know that runs are at a premium, and for Game 3, the Mariners will be sending Logan Gilbert to face 2024 World Series champion Jack Flaherty, who will look to bring his playoff experience onto the mound for a young Tigers squad.