Polanco’s big swings get Mariners even in ALDS
Detroit manager A.J. Hinch lamented that the Tigers could not “create enough pressure” on Seattle pitching in Sunday’s 3-2 loss
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners desperately needed someone besides Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez to step to the plate and get something done Sunday night at T-Mobile Park.
So Jorge Polanco did it. Boy, did he do it.
The 32-year-old second baseman smashed a pair of solo home runs as the Mariners rebounded from a 3-2 loss to Detroit Saturday to beat the Tigers by the same score Sunday to square the best-of-five American League Division Series at 1-1.
It was Seattle’s first playoff victory since October 15, 2001 against Cleveland — in other words, a long time coming. A sellout throng of 47,377 lapped it up like a puppy over a water bowl.
Raleigh and Rodriguez had three hits apiece and the rest of the Mariners combined to go 0 for 28 in Saturday’s opener. In Game 2, Polanco took it upon himself to provide some offense and lead Seattle to victory in what amounted to a must-win situation for the AL West champions.
“It was a huge boost for us,” Raleigh said of Polanco’s offensive production, which also included an infield single. “He had a great game.”
Raleigh and Rodriguez hit back-to-back doubles to score the winning run in the bottom of the eighth after Detroit had tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs — one of them unearned — in the top half of the frame. Andres Munoz — who had pitched two strong innings in the opener — came on to close out the Tigers in order in the ninth.
“Those at-bats by Cal and Julio were tremendous — just a huge momentum shift back to our dugout,” Seattle Manager Dan Wilson said. “And then ‘Muny’ coming in there in the ninth to slam the door. … this is playoff baseball, so you are going to see this, and it's good to come up on the top side of this one.”
Polanco got the first run on the board in the fourth on a line-drive, 392-foot homer to left field off Detroit ace Tarik Skubal, the former Seattle U. pitcher and presumed AL Cy Young Award winner this season after being a unanimous choice in Cy Young voting in 2024. Polanco took Skubal deep on a 3-2 count two innings later, sending a 99-mph fastball beyond the wall in left.
“You don't see the same guy get two good swings against Tarik very often,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch noted.
The 6-foot, 210-pound Polanco said he wasn’t thinking long ball either time.
“I came up there just trying to get a good pitch to hit, just (trying to) hit it to the middle of the field,” the Dominican Republic native said.”
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Polanco spent his first eight MLB seasons in Minnesota and was starting shortstop for the AL in the 2019 All-Star Game, when he hit .295 with 22 home runs in 153 games. He converted to second base in 2021, when he batted .269 with 33 dingers, and in 2024 was traded to Seattle. He hit a career-low .213 last season, and the Mariners re-signed him to a one-year, $7 million contract with $3 million in incentives. Polanco had a comeback year, hitting .265 with 26 homers in 138 regular-season games. On Sunday, he led the most important comeback of the year for the Mariners.
“Jorge is such a good player,” Rodriguez said. “All year long, he has been having great at-bats, coming up clutch in so many situations. And today, to hit two homers against the best pitcher in the game right now, it's awesome. There are not enough words to describe what he means to the team and everything that he has done this year.”
Detroit managed three hits, only one off Seattle starter Luis Castillo, who gave the Mariners 4 1/3 strong innings. Castillo held the Tigers hitless until Gleber Torres’ two-out single in the fifth, after which Wilson lifted him. The veteran right-hander had walked four and thrown 85 pitches, including 51 in the first two innings.
“First couple of innings, maybe he was trying to be a little too fine,” said Raleigh, Seattle’s All-Star catcher who swatted 60 homers in the regular season. “He made an adjustment the middle innings. After that, he was good.”
With runners at the corners, Gabe Speier came on in relief of Castillo and fanned Kerry Carpenter to end the inning.
Detroit finally got on the board in the eighth when an error by Seattle first baseman Josh Naylor opened the door for the Tigers. Spencer Torkelson doubled home two runs off Matt Brash to tie the count at 2-2.
With one out in the bottom half of the frame, Raleigh sent a double into the right-field corner. Rodriguez followed with a two-bagger down the left-field line to score “the Big Dumper” with what proved to be the winning run, sending the partisans into a state of delirium.
“Those are things I always dreamed about as a kid,” said Rodriguez, also a native of the Dominican Republic.
“Julio is always prepared for the moment, and he wants the big moment, and he can deliver,” Polanco said. “He is very confident and he knows how to play. We all love the way he goes about his business.”
When a reporter noted to Rodriguez that he had come through in many clutch situations late in the regular season and now in the playoffs, the All-Star centerfielder smiled.
“I feel like any situation is clutch,” Rodriguez said. “You can win a game in the first three innings of the game, in the middle of the game or late in the game, because every single run matters.
“People are going to call me whatever they want to call me. I take the biggest pride in helping the team win. But listen, if they want to say that I'm clutch, OK. Cool. So be it.”
It was a terrific performance by the Seattle pitching staff for the second straight night. Castillo and four relievers combined to allow three hits and one earned run with 10 strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.
“I give our guys a ton of credit,” Wilson said. “This was a bounce-back game for us, and they did just that. And to lose the lead late like that and to come right back and score a run was huge. The bullpen was outstanding. That's not an easy role in those tight games, but they all threw the ball well.”
The Tigers had a chance to put the Mariners behind the 8-ball when they tied Sunday’s game late.
“We couldn't quite create enough (offensive) pressure,” Hinch said. “It’s a frustrating loss, but every loss at this time of the year is frustrating. I’m proud of our group, and excited to get home.”
Seattle’s 6-6, 215-pound Logan Gilbert (6-6, 3.44 ERA during the regular season) goes up against Detroit’s 6-4, 225-pound Jack Flaherty (8-15, 4.64) in a battle of big right-handers in Tuesday’s Game 3 at Comerica Park.
Right-hander Jack Flaherty will toe the hill for the Tigers to open Tuesday’s Game 3 at Comerica Park
“I know they are not going to like us over there,” Rodriguez said, stating the obvious. “They are going to root for their team. They are going to root for the Tigers, just like our fans were rooting for us here.”
Though Detroit got the split on the road, Seattle is in the driver’s seat. The Mariners have the better starter going Tuesday, the better overall offensive club and need only another split to get the series back to T-Mobile Park for a deciding Game 5.
The Tigers are looking at it as an opportunity to win a pair at home, seize the series and not have to return to Seattle. The Mariners aren’t afraid to play at Comerica, however. They swept three games there in July, battering Detroit pitching for 35 runs in three games. That was in the midst of a span in which the Tigers lost 12 of 13 games.
It is all about perspective, and also about momentum. The Mariners’ have that for now after Sunday’s critical victory.
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