In a dramatic 15-inning clash, Jorge Polanco drove in the winning run with a base hit to right field, clinching a narrow victory for the home team over the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.
Luis Castillo, delivering his initial bullpen outing in the major leagues, pitched over an inning to secure the win, sending his team to the AL Championship Series for the initial occasion since 2001.
The Mariners will now face the Blue Jays for the pennant in a contest between franchise counterparts. The series opener is set for Sunday in the Blue Jays' home.
A Tigers hitter provided all of the visitors' scoring with a home run in the sixth inning.
The Mariners evened the score at two runs apiece in the seventh on a substitute batter's run-scoring hit.
Both teams threatened multiple times in overtime, with the Mariners grounding into twin killings in both the 12th and 13th.
The Tigers' ace and the Mariners' starter engaged in a pitchers' duel in the opening frames.
The left-hander, a pitching honor contender, allowed one run on a couple of hits with zero bases on balls and double-digit K's over multiple frames. He established a playoff mark with back-to-back K's.
The only run occurred in the early going, when a two-base hit, stolen base, and sacrifice fly brought home a run for the Mariners.
Kirby opened with five scoreless innings before allowing a lead-off double in the sixth. After a pitching change, Carpenter went deep on a pitch to give the visitors the lead.
The starter went over five frames and was responsible for one run on three hits with zero free passes and six strikeouts.
This victory signifies a major milestone for the Seattle franchise, who move forward to compete for a place in the championship after a long playoff drought.
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