The Mariners will head to Detroit tied 1-1 with the Tigers after a Game 2 ALDS win Sunday
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners entered Game 2 of the American League Divisional Series on Sunday with a huge task: beat the possible back-to-back American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal for the third time this year.
The Mariners did just that and declawed the Detroit Tigers 3-2 at T-Mobile Park. The victory tied the best-of-five ALDS at one game apiece.
It was the Mariners' first home postseason win since Oct. 15, 2001, against the then-Cleveland Indians.
"It's one of those things where you assess last night's game, the next day you wake up and you bring the energy back to the field," M's catcher Cal Raleigh said in a postgame interview Sunday. "You got to have that short memory. Had an opportunity today to take advantage of the game."
Similar to Saturday, where Seattle lost 3-2 to Detroit in 11 innings, the Mariners got on the board first in the bottom of the fourth.
That fourth-inning score was a solo home run hit by Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco to put Seattle in front 1-0.
Polanco hit another homer two innings later in the bottom of the sixth. Polanco's second home run bolstered the Mariners' lead to 2-0.
Polanco became the fourth player in franchise history to hit two homers in a single postseason game. The other three players were Ken Griffey Jr. (1995), Jay Buhner (1995) and Edgar Martinez (1995).
"I didn't know what was coming," Polanco said in a postgame interview Sunday. "I just had a good approach. I stayed through the middle so I could recognize the secondary stuff. ... Just put a good swing on it."
Polanco's pair of homers were the only blemishes allowed by Skubal. He finished the game with nine strikeouts, one walk and two earned runs allowed on five hits (two home runs) in seven innings pitched.
On the other side, Seattle starter Luis Castillo didn't have have as lengthy an outing as Skubal. But he still blanked the opposition.
Castillo fanned three, walked four and allowed one hit in 4.2 innings pitched. When he was pulled in the top of the fifth, Detroit had runners on the corners and two outs.
Mariners left-handed reliever Gabe Speier took over for Castillo in the fifth. He struck out Tigers right fielder Kerry Carpenter to get out of the jam.
Speier returned to the mound for the sixth and retired the side in order.
"I'm confident facing any lefty in the league," Speier said after the game Sunday. "Just attacking (Carpenter) like I would any other left-hander really. ... Losing Game 1, you hear in the media it's 'oh, gosh.' But it's a five-game series. You're probably going to lose a game or two. It was a big win tonight."
Right-handed reliever Eduard Bazardo preserved Seattle's 2-0 lead in the seventh.
In the top of the eighth, against right-handed reliever Matt Brash, Detroit first baseman Spencer Torkelson hit a one-out, two-RBI double to tie the game 2-2. Brash hunkered down and struck out the final two batters he faced to get out of the frame.
In the bottom of the eighth, Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez brought home Raleigh from second with an RBI double for the eventual final of 3-2. Raleigh got on base with a double of his own before Rodriguez came to the plate.
"(Rodriguez's) done a good job," Raleigh said. "He looks in control in the box, doesn't look off-balance. He's taking good pitches. He looks confident. He looks confident, looks slow, looks balanced. ... He's seeing them well, he's slowing the game down right now. Doing a good job with that right now."
In the top of the ninth, one day removed from his first two-inning outing in over five years, All-Star closer Andres Munoz retired the side in order to secure the M's' win.
Seattle will have an off-day Monday and will play Games 3 and 4 of the ALDS at Comerica Park in Detroit. Game 3 will take place at 1:08 p.m. PT on Tuesday. Logan Gilbert will start for the Mariners and Jack Flaherty will start for the Tigers.
RELATED MARINERS STORIES
MUNOZ READY FOR GAME 2 OF ALDS: The All-Star reliever is prepared to shoulder a bigger workload this postseason. CLICK HERE
MARINERS CONFIDENT IN LUIS CASTILLO FOR CRUCIAL GAME 2: Dan Wilson and the Mariners will hope familiar with Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal and Castillo's consistency will help the team even the series. CLICK HERE
LUIS CASTILLO'S GAME 2 ALDS START NOW HAD ADDED LAYER TO IT: More than three years after he was acquired by the team, Castillo could have the Mariners season resting on his shoulders. CLICK HERE
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Remember to join our MARINERS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Mariners fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!