Mariners overcome Tarik Skubal challenge to beat Tigers 3-2

The Seattle Mariners head to Detroit having tied their best-of-5 ALDS at 1-1, as Jorge Polanco injects some much-needed life into the offense.

How long can a fanbase handle going between playoff wins at home by their team? Try just under 24 years, with the 3-2 win in Game 2 on Sunday representing the first at T-Mobile Park for the Mariners since Oct. 5 2001, when the stadium was called Safeco Field.

There was plenty of angst in the air as the Mariners prepared to play Game 2 on Sunday evening, after losing Game 1 on Saturday night 3-2 in extra innings. Everyone knew the M’s quite simply couldn’t afford to lose again to the Tigers and fall into a 0-2 hole with the five-game series then shifting to Detroit for two contests.

In the end however, even though the game was another anxiety-induced, tense and at times painful experience, the Mariners did what was required to tie the AL Division Series at 1-1. Let’s get to our five takeaways from an emotion-packed Game 2:

1) Jorge Polanco redemption hits new high

Jorge Polanco had already done enough to earn the respect of the Mariners fanbase, rebounding from the worst season of his Major League career last year to become an important part of the lineup in 2025. However, it turns out he hasn’t quite finished his redemption tour, with him providing an exquisite exclamation mark on Sunday evening.

The Mariners again struggled to produce offense as they had just eight hits in Game 2, but three of them came from Polanco including two solo home runs to give the home team a 2-0 lead through six innings. As a result he became just the fourth players in franchise history to hit two homers in a postseason game and the first since all the way back in 1995.

Polanco was in a good frame of mind ahead of the game, with him going on to also provide excellent defense from second base on a night when it all went right for him. As per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, postgame he said:

“I was feeling pretty good. I didn’t know what was coming. Like I said, I just have a good approach, stay to the middle so I can recognize the second that it starts.”

2) Mariners have Tarik Skubal’s number … sort of

You don’t ever truly have the better of someone of the class of Tarik Skubal, who claimed his first AL Cy Young Award last year and is favorite to win it again this season. However, the Mariners were one of the very few teams to make him look ‘human’ in 2025, beating him both times they faced him during the regular season as he allowed 10 hits, five walks and seven earned runs in 10.2 combined innings.

Those in the know said it would be different this time around under the brights lights and intensity of the playoffs, with Skubal coming off a stellar outing in Game 1 of the Tigers’ wild card series versus the Cleveland Guardians. And certainly, allowing just five hits, one walk and two earned runs in 7.0 innings against the Mariners on Sunday evening in Seattle is the type of outing which often ultimately results in a win.

However, on this occasion it didn’t prove to be quite enough thanks in part to the Tigers’ offense not stepping up a la the Mariners’ linuep a night earlier. Still, (more) credit has to go to Polanco, for becoming the first player since 2021 – and the fourth ever – to hit two home runs in the same game off the 2024 Triple Crown winner.

If this series goes the full five games then Skubal will get the start, which for most opponents would be an extremely worrying prospect. However, for some reason the Mariners seem to be able to do what it takes to beat him and so will at least enter this potential decider with more confidence than most versus the two-time AL ERA leader.

3) The Rock does his bit but Dan Wilson learns lesson

While Luis Castillo has undoubtedly endured his challenges during the 2025 season he at least entered the playoffs in sublime form, producing a 1.07 ERA, 2.50 FIP and 0.51 WHIP in 25.1 combined innings over his final four starts of the regular season. In addition he had been better at home all season in general, with a 2.60 ERA in 17 outings at T-Mobile Park.

Still, there was some cause for concern in the early going on Sunday evening, as even though Castillo kept the Tigers off the scoreboard it took him 51 pitches to get through the first two innings. However, as per Tim Booth of The Seattle Times, the M’s then changed the righty’s gameplan to utilize his fastball more and it subsequently took him just nine pitches in each of the third and fourth innings to retire the Tigers.

Still, in a prime example of learning from previous experience, Mariners manager Dan Wilson decided to take Castillo out after two outs in the top of the fifth as opposed to letting him attempt to complete the inning. Wilson wasn’t going to make the same mistake as a night earlier with George Kirby, with Kerry Carpenter coming to the plate this time with two runners on base.

Instead Wilson turned to Gabe Speier as critics – albeit with the benefit of hindsight – believed he should have done in Game 1, with the southpaw going on to strike out Carpenter on a foul tip. In any event, Castillo did his bit on the night as he ultimately allowed one hit, four walks and most importantly no runs in 4.2 innings of action.

4) Mariners star duo step up in crunch time

Entering this AL Division Series, if was generally agreed that Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez presented the biggest offensive threat to opponents, but also faced the most pressure to produce. Well, they dealt with the pressure just fine in Game 1, with both getting a trio of hits and the latter accounting for the Mariners’ two runs on the night.

The problem was that the rest of the lineup combined to contribute zero hits in 28 at-bats in the demoralizing Game 1 extra innings loss. Well, this was rectified to an extent in Game 2 as per the aforementioned reference to the outstanding Polanco, but overall the lineup was still struggling to put it all together and take the pressure off their pitching staff.

Thus, when the Tigers tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the eighth, Mariners fans could be forgiven for fearing the worst again. Step forward the team’s magnificent star duo beginning with Raleigh, who turned his key hit in the bottom of the eighth into a double thanks to his magnificent hustle.

Then it was the turn of Rodríguez, who has often been accused of not being a clutch player, but took just two pitches to hit a double which scored his teammate and gave the Mariners a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish. J-Rod’s pure unbridled passion in celebrating his RBI once he reached second base was utter joy for the fans in attendance and you wouldn’t bet against it happening again during this postseason.

• Dante Fowler Jr Joins Seahawks: A Veteran’s Role
• Mariners do right by Randy Johnson with statue to honor his legacy
• Cal Raleigh’s Injury: Latest News and Prognosis
• Seattle Sounders Struggle with Finishing in Draw
• Seahawks Rookie Mini-Camp Highlights: Key Performers & Insights

5) Other notes

Andrés Muñoz has been light out so far this postseason, following up two 1-2-3 innings in Game 1 with another 1-2-3 inning on Sunday night to secure his first career playoff save.

Speier has similarly been tremendous so far in this AL Division Series, not allowing a hit, walk or run in 2.2 combined innings while also striking out four.

Matt Brash earned his first career postseason win on Sunday evening, recording three strikeouts in the eighth inning and allowing two runs (one unearned) with one hit and one walk.

Rodríguez has now recorded an extra-base hit in a franchise record five consecutive postseason games, breaking a tie he held with Ken Griffey Jr. and Jay Buhner.

Rodríguez’s five-game extra base hits streak is also the longest in Major League postseason history by a player under 25.

Castillo is only the second pitcher in Mariners history to throw 4.2+ innings with one-or-fewer hits in a postseason start, along with Paul Abbott.

Quote of the night

Rodríguez was asked postgame in his onfield TV interview where his game-winning RBI double in the bottom of the eighth ranks in his career. He said:

“This has to be number one. We haven’t had a time like this here in a while, so being able to deliver a win tonight as a team I think was really special for me. Just to see the fans and the way they got going, it was very special. I’m always going to hold that memory in my heart.”

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rodgers Photography

Where you one of those 47,371 fans fortunate enough to be in attendance at T-Mobile Park on Sunday evening? Either way, what did the 3-2 win mean to you and what’s your prediction for the Mariners in Game 3 on Tuesday afternoon in Detroit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.