Mariners backed into a corner and now face a deciding Game 5

The Mariners lead early, but then fall apart and lose 9-3 to the Tigers, meaning this ALDS will now return to Seattle to determine the winner.

If there’s one thing you can say about the history of the Seattle Mariners, it’s that they never make things easy for themselves; that things still seem to go wrong even when it’s all set up to go right. And the latest example of this came on Wednesday afternoon in Detroit, in Game 4 of their AL Division Series versus the Tigers.

The Mariners seemed to be in control entering Game 4, having regained the advantage in the series a day earlier with their rousing 8-4 win over the Tigers at Comerica Park following a three-hour rain delay. And midway through the fifth inning they seemed all but set to advance to their first AL Championship Series since 2001, as they held a 3-0 lead over their Motown rivals.

Bryce Miller was looking as much like last year’s version as at any time this season, having allowed just two hits, no walks or earned runs through 4.0 innings. Josh Naylor was having his best game of the series yet, doing it all and seemingly inspired by becoming a father for the first time.

A shocking turn of events for the Mariners

This was why FanGraphs and others had tabbed the Mariners as favorites to represent the AL in the World Series for the first time, with everything that was positive about this team on full display. Then it all went terribly, devastatingly and painfully wrong for the visitors and their fans, with a team-wide self-capitulation which resulted in a 9-3 loss to the Tigers.

Miller only lasted one out in the bottom of the fifth and went on to be tagged with two earned runs, but it would be unfair to attach too much blame to him. The reality is that he arguably gave the Mariners more than was expected, just based on how he had pitched for the majority of 2025.

The main reason everything fell apart was because of the M’s bullpen, as the team gave up seven combined runs during the fifth and sixth innings and turned a 3-0 lead into a four-run deficit. To be clear though, this is not about taking a shot at a bullpen which for the most part had been excellent through the first three games of this ALDS.

No, it’s more about how the bullpen was used, which to be fair has been an ongoing question throughout this series. Ultimately though, the combination of this and some questionable pitches resulted in the relievers allowing a combined seven earned runs and one unearned run and there was no coming back, even for one of the most resilient teams in baseball.

M’s miss a golden opportunity in the top of the fourth

Another factor which contributed towards the Mariners losing Game 4, was not killing off the Tigers for good when they had the chance. We are of course talking about the top of the fourth, after the M’s had chased Tigers starter Casey Mize from the game.

The Mariners seemingly did the hard part in loading the bases against Mize’s replacement Tyler Holton with no outs, forcing the Tigers to replace him with Kyle Finnegan. However, the M’s could only manage one run to increase their lead to 2-0, with that score coming when Víctor Robles grounded into a double play.

Yes Cal Raleigh hit a RBI single in the top of the fifth to make it 3-0 to the Mariners, but the specter of that bases loaded, no outs situation an inning earlier loomed large. And this fear subsequently came to fruition, meaning the two teams now return to Seattle on Friday for a winner-takes-all Game 5 and a place in the ALCS versus the Toronto Blue Jays.

What was interesting was the difference in the vibe compared to when the Mariners lost Game 1 and the clubhouse was almost deathly quiet. This time around though it was actually upbeat, or at least as much as it can be after missing out on a chance to advance to the ALCS.

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Mariners focused on what lies ahead

Instead, the Mariners players were more focused on Game 5, perhaps alluding to the confidence within a team which is as talented as any in franchise history since 2001. As per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, Gabe Speier said:

“Honestly, all my mind is on right now is Friday. … I think everyone is really excited to get back to Seattle and put on a show for our home crowd.”

This mindset is understandable, considering the Mariners’ 51-30 regular season record this season at home is second-best in the AL. (Incidentally trailing just the Blue Jays.) J. P. Crawford built on this, as he said:

“We play really well at our park. Our fans make it really fun and the vibes are really great. So we go on to Friday with a positive mindset.”

Despite this, there remains some angst within the fanbase about Game 4 being a lost opportunity, due to the fact the Mariners will now have to face Tarik Skubal in the decider. While the M’s are 3-0 in the three games they’ve faced him this season, he remains arguably the best pitcher in the majors and on course to win a second consecutive AL Cy Young.

Dan Wilson has complete faith in his players

Still, Mariners manager Dan Wilson remains positive and supportive of his team even in the face of such challenging circumstances, as you would expect given this is his refreshing default setting. As per Jude’s colleague Ryan Divish, Wilson said:

“We’ve been able to get to Skubal throughout, and we have another chance to do that on Friday. Offensively, we’ve done some really good things in this series and continue to do some of those things today. So we will certainly be ready on Friday.”

Wilson’s faith in his players comes from knowing that they never think they are beaten, with them repeatedly displaying an impressive collective mental fortitude. As he said:

“Everything’s in front of us, and these guys have done this all season long, where they get in tough situations and they know exactly what to do and they do fight back and they do bounce back. … I’m not worried about that at all, and no better place to do that than at home.”

So it’s all come down to Friday in Seattle and as per the history of the Mariners, it’s almost ordained that a place in the ALCS has to be decided in the pressure-packed cooker of a deciding Game 5. Being at T-Mobile Park won’t be for the faint of heart, but if the mindset of Wilson and his players are any indication, they wouldn’t want it any other way.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rodgers Photography

So it all comes down to Friday back in Seattle. What’s your prediction for who will win between the Mariners and Tigers, and why? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.