Jorge Polanco sends Seattle Mariners to ALCS with game-winning RBI single in 15th in 3-2 win over Tigers

SEATTLE - After nearly five hours and 15 innings, Jorge Polanco broke a 24-year drought to send the Seattle Mariners to the AL Championship Series.

A bases-loaded RBI single off Tommy Kahnle four hours and 58 minutes into a decisive Game 5 of the ALDS sent T-Mobile Park into bedlam on Friday night. J.P. Crawford danced home from third base into the waiting arms of Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor as the Mariners beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in an absolute thriller.

ALDS Game 5 makes history

In the longest winner-take-all playoff game in Major League history, the Mariners – the Mariners – emerged victorious.

What they're saying:

"I know we played a long game, but this team never gave up," Polanco said. "I know there is a lot of emotion, but we are always trying to keep it simple. I'm just trying to go out there and play and trying to get the win."

So many different moments felt like they were going to be the moment. And both teams had their opportunities at that moment to send their team to Toronto for the ALCS.

After Leo Rivas tied the game at 2-2 in the seventh inning with a pinch-hit RBI single off Kyle Ferguson, the book closed on starting pitchers George Kirby and Tarik Skubal, who both were terrific with their efforts in Game 5. This game would fall to the bullpens to carry the load to see which unit would crack first.

Seattle had to turn to Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo in relief, something neither pitcher had done in over eight years. The Tigers similarly turned to Game 1 starter Troy Melton in 10th, and Game 3 starter Jack Flaherty in the 13th. 

Melton survived a lead-off double to Victor Robles in the 10th, Gilbert put two on with one out in the 11th only to work out of trouble for Seattle. Two more reached base on Gilbert in the 12th only for Eduard Bazardo to come in and dance out of danger.

"You can't say enough about the bullpen and two starters we had up there in the bullpen, just taking the ball and just running with it, and not wanting to come out of the game, wanting to keep throwing pitches, keep throwing innings," manager Dan Wilson said.

Dig deeper:

Seattle then put two runners on against Keider Montero in the bottom of the 12th only for a Randy Arozarena double play ball to blunt the threat. Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez both walked with no outs in the 13th, but another double play ball again ended the winning chance.

Eventually, it was time.

Against Kahnle in the 15th, Crawford singled to get the lead-off runner aboard. Khanle plunked Arozarena to put a second runner on base and both runners advanced on Raleigh's fly ball to center field for the first out. After intentionally walking Rodríguez, the stage was set for Polanco's heroics.

Polanco worked a full count and managed to slap a changeup at the bottom of the zone through the right side of the infield to finally accomplish the task.

"You know, it makes me a little emotional because these guys are unbelievable, just how much they fought tonight," Wilson said. "And, you know, we talked about it before the game, and we said that part of what makes them great is they don't want to leave the ballpark until they win. And tonight was that. They didn't want to leave the ballpark until they won, and they made it happen."

Kirby gave Seattle five solid innings as he carried a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning. His counterpart for Detroit, Skubal, was somehow even better, retiring the final 14 batters he faced with 13 strikeouts overall, including seven straight K's. 

In the second inning, Naylor swatted a one-out double into the left field corner on a 100 mph fastball from Skubal to become the first runner in scoring position for either team. 

Naylor's swiped third base off a sleeping Skubal to put the go-ahead run 90 feet away with one out. Naylor stole 19 of his career-high 30 stolen bases in 54 games played to end the season with Seattle after a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks in July. Naylor was already halfway between second and third base with his secondary lead before Skubal threw home, which gave him a clean theft of third.

Mitch Garver's fly ball to deep center field was more than enough for Naylor to score from third for the opening run and a 1-0 lead.

Garver was the first of 14 straight retired by Skubal as the presumptive AL Cy Young Award winner was electric.

Kerry Carpenter was the only batter to get a hit off Kirby through five innings, singling in the first and third. Kirby hit Colt Keith with a pitch with two outs in the fourth to put a runner on, but Raleigh delivered a perfect strike to second base to throw out a stealing Keith to end the inning.

Carpenter's singles improved his record to 7-for-13 in his career with five home runs off Kirby, which forced Wilson's hand in the sixth inning.

Javier Báez doubled to lead off the inning, which left Carpenter due up. Wilson turned to his shutdown left-hander in Gabe Speier to take on Carpenter in a critical spot. However, Speier left a 1-0 fastball dead over the middle of the plate and Carpenter roasted it deep to center field for a two-run blast that deflated T-Mobile Park.

"He put a really good swing on a really good pitcher and obviously gave us a big boost," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.

Skubal finally exited after the sixth inning with a strikeout of Raleigh on his 99th pitch to close out his night.

"He emptied his tank and obviously was emotional coming off the mound, and I think that signals exactly where we were in the game. He gave us everything he could," Hinch said.

Polanco drew a one-out walk off Kyle Ferguson to snap a run of 15 straight retired by Detroit. Naylor slapped a two-out single through the right side as Seattle had its first real opportunity to tie the game. 

Wilson pinch-hit Dominic Canzone for Garver, which prompted Hinch to go to left-hander Tyler Holton to face the lefty in Canzone. But Wilson had an answer, turning to the switch-hitting Rivas to face Holton instead.

Rivas – on his 28th birthday – delivered a game-tying RBI single to left field that scored Polanco to tie the game at 2-2.

"I was like, all right. Polo is on second. I might run for him. I don't know if I'm going to pinch-hit right now, but I was thinking of running more than pinch-hit. Then they just told me that, and I thought, let's go," Rivas said.

"(Holton) hanged that changeup. Thank God he hanged it."

Holton escaped without giving up the lead, getting Robles to groundout to shortstop to end the Seattle threat. However, it meant that neither Skubal nor Kirby would factor into the decision as the game fully fell on the bullpens.

Matt Brash pitched two great innings in relief, Andrés Muñoz worked around a pair of walks for a strong 1 ⅓ inning effort. Former Mariner Will Vest was sharp in relief for Detroit as well. Vest went two innings in relief for the Tigers as the game moved into extra innings.

"There were opportunities on both sides after the ninth inning," Hinch said. "You know, it felt like it was a pretty quiet game from an opportunity standpoint until we got into extras, and then there were runners everywhere and there were double plays, and they're caught stealing and there's bunts, and there's guys picking up each other on errors or misplays."

Gilbert entered to pitch the 10th for the Mariners, marking the first relief appearance of Gilbert's professional career. Seattle's Game 3 starter, Gilbert got a pair of fly outs to center field and a strikeout of Parker Meadows to send the game to the bottom of the 10th.

Robles sliced a lead-off double into the right field corner off Troy Melton to put the winning run on second base with no outs in the 10th inning. 

Carpenter delivered a lead-off single in the 11th inning – his fourth hit of the night – and advanced to second base on a passed ball from Raleigh, who didn't have a single passed ball in the regular season. Torres flew out to right field and the Mariners walked Riley Greene to set up the force play at all bases.

Gilbert got Torkelson to fly out to left and struck out Keith to escape the jam.

Gilbert ran into more trouble in the 12th, but the Mariners survived.

An infielder chopper from McKinstry landed perfectly between Gilbert and Naylor for a single to lead off the inning. Dillon Dingler followed with a single to left as the first two batters both reached base.

A sacrifice bunt by Parker Meadows against Bazardo advanced the runners to second and third with one out, putting the go-ahead run 90 feet away.

A broken bat chopper to third baseman Eugenio Suárez by Javier Báez allowed the throw to come home to cut down McKinstry at the plate for the second out. After an intentional walk of Carpenter, Bazardo got Gleyber Torres to fly out to right field to survive the massive chance for Detroit to seize control.

"It takes everybody in a game like this," Wilson said. "And we had a lot of opportunities in the extra innings and just weren't able to get over the hump."

Then it was Detroit's turn for an escape act.

Double plays in both the 12th and 13th innings erased a pair of two-on, no-outs chances for Seattle to find the game-winner. 

Dillon Dingler delivered a one-out double off Bazardo in the 14th to again threaten for Detroit. Bazardo struck out Meadows to complete a strong 2 ⅔ innings of relief as Game 2 starter Castillo entered in relief for the Mariners.

Castillo hadn't pitched in relief since June 2016 with High-A Jupiter, but he delivered a jammed pop-out to first base to leave Dingler stranded.

Castillo then shut down the Tigers in the 15th as Seattle finally seized their opportunity.

"Whether it was a hit by pitch, a walk, getting on base, doing something special to put the pressure on there. And Polo with a huge at-bat there to get the game winner," Wilson said.

"Again, you can't say enough about the effort these guys put on the fight. You know, we've talked about the fight all year long. To go 15 innings tonight, 15 rounds, so to speak, and to come out on top, that sure feels good."

Said Hinch: "Let me start by saying congrats to Seattle. Jerry (Dipoto and) I go back a long way and Dan, I’ve just gotten to know. That was an incredible win for them, which means it was an incredible loss for us. But I wish them well in the next round. They earned it, and that was an epic game."

MORE MARINERS NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE

Live updates: Mariners beat Tigers 3-2 in 15 innings to advance to ALCS

Seattle Mariners win ALDS, advance to American League Championship Series

FOX 13 Extra Innings: Mariners vs Tigers Game 5 Pregame Show

One-on-one with Mariners President Jerry Dipoto

One-on-one with the voice of the Mariners Rick Rizzs

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