Tigers Stun Mariners In 11-Inning Thriller As McKinstry Delivers Game-Winning Hit

An instant classic ended in favor of the Detroit Tigers in Game One of the ALDS on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. The 3-2 win in 11 innings now puts the Tigers in a strong position, up one game with ace Tarik Skubal set to take the mound in Game 2 tomorrow at 8 p.m. The Mariners will counter with their own ace, Luis Castillo. It’s a must-win game for Seattle to avoid falling into a daunting 0-2 hole.

First, though, take a breath and savor Game One. In a playoff opener that stretched into the tense silence of extra innings, the Detroit Tigers found a way to draw first blood. Zach McKinstry delivered a go-ahead single in the top of the 11th inning, lifting the Tigers to a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night at a stunned T-Mobile Park. 

The atmosphere was electric, a collision of two hungry franchises desperate for a deep postseason run. For the Mariners, it was a heartbreaking start to their home playoff campaign. For the Tigers, it was a display of resilience and road-warrior toughness, proving they could win a tight, gut-wrenching game when it mattered most. The victory puts the pressure squarely on Seattle to respond and avoid heading to Detroit in a deep series hole.

7 Key Takeaways from The Tigers’ Win

1. Kerry Carpenter has become George Kirby’s personal kryptonite. In the fifth inning, Carpenter turned on a pitch from the Mariners’ ace and launched a two-run home run that gave Detroit a vital 2-1 lead. It was a momentum-swinging blast that silenced the Seattle crowd. Remarkably, it was Carpenter’s fifth career home run against Kirby in just 10 at-bats, a statistic that speaks volumes about his comfort and success against one of the league’s top pitchers.
2. On the other side, Julio Rodríguez was a one-man wrecking crew for the Mariners. The face of the franchise did everything in his power to will his team to victory, going 3-for-5 at the plate. He electrified the stadium with a solo home run in the fourth inning to open the scoring and later delivered a clutch, game-tying RBI single in the sixth. “I was just trying to get on base and help the team win,” Rodríguez said, but his individual heroics weren’t quite enough.
3. The Tigers’ bullpen was the unsung hero of the night. After starter Troy Melton departed, a cast of relievers combined to navigate a treacherous path. They managed to keep the high-powered Mariners offense scoreless from the seventh inning through the tenth, a stretch that won them the game. Will Vest was particularly sharp, earning the win with two perfect innings of relief, including two strikeouts.
4. Both offenses will be lamenting their missed chances. The game was filled with high-leverage situations, but clutch hits were hard to come by. The  Tigers went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight men on base. The Mariners were even less efficient, going 1-for-4 in those key spots. “We need to capitalize on those opportunities if we want to win,” the Mariners’ manager lamented after the game.
5. Detroit’s defense also played a quiet but crucial role. The infield turned a key double play, erasing a potential threat and providing a boost for their pitching staff. In a one-run game decided in extra innings, every out is magnified, and the Tigers’ sure-handed play in the field proved to be a significant factor in the victory.
6. The starting pitching matchup lived up to its billing as a tight affair. Detroit’s Melton showed poise beyond his years, navigating four innings and allowing just one run on two hits. For Seattle, George Kirby was dominant at times, striking out eight batters over five innings, but the one major blemish was the two-run homer he surrendered to Carpenter.
7. McKinstry’s game-winning hit was a testament to persistence. After a tense battle that saw both bullpens bend but not break, McKinstry stepped to the plate in the 11th and delivered a clean single to center field. The hit drove in Spencer Torkelson, providing the decisive run and capping a memorable night of playoff baseball.