SEATTLE, Wash. – Just in case the stakes couldn’t get higher, the Seattle Mariners could not close the ALDS series against the Detroit Tigers in four games, and we head to a deciding Game 5 in Seattle tonight. Here are the key ways the Mariners can win and advance.
5. Cal Raleigh (again)
Worst-case scenario, the home run leader will get second place in the American League MVP race. The catcher has a tremendous season behind and, hopefully, in front of him to go, and he’s the only player to have a hit in every game this series. Cal hasn’t had many huge standout moments yet in this series, as his best hitting night was Game 1 (11th-inning loss), and his only home run came when Game 3 was well out of hand for Seattle. Now is the time for that big moment on offense.
4. All-In Pitching Performances
On the defensive side, the Mariners have not announced a starting pitcher. Game 1’s George Kirby and Game 2’s Luis Castillo should both be good to go, and it’s possible the M’s play both in an all-in gamble to win the series. Both pitchers featured great starts this postseason, and would be a solid 1-2 punch for Game 5.
3. Game 5 Magic
This game number has particular meaning for the Mariners, and they’ve had great luck here before. Seattle is 2-0 all-time in winner-take-all playoff games, having won the 1995 ALDS Game 5 and the 2001 ALDS Game 5, both of which capped off remarkable comebacks. The 1995 game was the iconic Edgar Martinez extra-innings double, and 2001, Seattle’s greatest season to date, saw the M’s knock off Cleveland in a much less dramatic final. To add, before Game 4, Seattle was 4-0 in series-clinching playoff games.
2. More from the Middle
The middle of the order hasn’t been too hot for Seattle. Between Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor, and Jorge Polanco, we have exactly two good performances from the four games played. Those two were a 3-4, two-homer Game 2 Polanco breakout (0-12 outside of this) and a 3-4, two-run Naylor performance yesterday (he and his wife just had a baby). The big three, following the opening trio of Randy Arozarena/Cal Raleigh/Julio Rodriguez, need a major step up in Game 5.
1. Get past Skubal (x4)
The obvious number one point will be getting past Detroit’s ace. Skubal, a Seattle U alum and likely repeat Cy Young Award winner this season, seems to have a major Mariners problem as his Achilles heel, now 0-3 against Seattle this season when he starts. One of those losses was Game 2, when Seattle bounced back and evened the series with a 3-2 win. Skubal still pitched seven innings and struck out nine, but the run support didn’t come.
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