SEATTLE –- The Mariners received’t face elimination once they take the sphere for Recreation 2 of the American League Division Sequence on Sunday night time, however a loss may very well be catastrophic of their pursuit of advancing on this best-of-five spherical.
“We did not steal it. We earned it,” Tigers supervisor A.J. Hinch mentioned. “I feel it was necessary for us to play this recreation that was in entrance of us, and we did a extremely good job. That was an unimaginable recreation.”
Added Mariners supervisor Dan Wilson: “One among our strengths is bouncing again, and we now have to try this, and Skubal is a man, clearly, that we now have seen a few instances this yr. … We have got to return out tomorrow and are available proper again at him and bounce again.”
If the opening act on this ALDS provided a touch to what’s in retailer, Recreation 2 may very well be one other thriller.
When is the sport and the way can I watch it?Recreation 2 between the Mariners and Tigers will likely be at 8:08 p.m. ET/5:08 p.m. PT on FS1. All sequence can be found within the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a taking part Pay TV supplier. Video games additionally can be found stay internationally, though not in Canada. Sportsnet is MLB’s unique English language broadcaster in Canada for each Postseason recreation, whereas TVA Sports activities will likely be overlaying the whole AL Postseason and the World Sequence in French and Broadcaster RDS will cowl the whole NL Postseason in French.
That the previous Seattle College star has an opportunity to do it in his previous faculty city makes it extra particular.
“This metropolis means quite a bit to me,” Skubal mentioned. “Clearly I spent 4 years right here. I used to be born in California, raised in Arizona, however I really feel like I form of grew up right here in faculty, getting impartial. So this place will all the time have a particular place in my coronary heart.”
That mentioned, the Mariners beat Skubal twice in as many conferences this season, with seven runs scored over 10 2/3 whole innings.
Mariners: The Mariners will give the ball to Luis Castillo (11-8, 3.54 ERA) for his fourth profession postseason begin. He made two in Seattle’s 2022 run and one in 2020 with Cincinnati, however that is his first at residence. He’s been his finest self at T-Cellular Park this season, with a 2.60 ERA at residence, in comparison with a 4.71 ERA on the street.
Castillo is coming off his hottest stretch of the yr to complete the common season, going 3-0 with a 1.07 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 25 1/3 innings throughout 4 begins.
“The Rock” has confronted Detroit twice in 2025. Within the second sequence of the season, he posted seven innings of two-run ball — reverse Skubal — to earn the win at residence. In July at Comerica Park, the Tigers tagged him for 3 runs on six hits in five-plus innings, although the Mariners went on to win the sport, 12-3.
What may the beginning lineups appear like?Tigers: Although Hinch hardly ever sticks with the identical lineup, he’s prone to roll with the identical order so long as they preserve profitable. Kerry Carpenter as a focus within the order is smart in a park the place he has slugged 4 residence runs in seven profession video games.
Mariners: Even amid personnel fluctuations all through the common season, Wilson deployed a way more constant every day lineup based mostly on who was on the roster. And that can doubtless stay within the playoffs, with the one components altering based mostly on the opposing pitcher’s handedness. The Mariners have been turning to the identical Nos. 1-3 guys in all however two video games because the Commerce Deadline.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?Tigers: The excellent news for the Tigers bullpen is that they often don’t get many innings to fill when Skubal is beginning. That’s significantly useful after they lined seven innings in Recreation 1. Will Vest pitched two innings to get the win in Recreation 1 however threw simply 19 pitches to do it, so he must be out there for a possible save in Recreation 2. Actually, not one of the seven relievers in Recreation 1 threw 20 pitches. Lefties Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter threw 9 and 7 pitches, respectively. Sinkerballer Brenan Hanifee was the one reliever who didn’t pitch.
Mariners: Seattle ran by means of all of its high-leverage arms on Saturday, with Eduard Bazardo, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash and Andrés Muñoz all taking the hill in a shedding effort, together with Caleb Ferguson and Carlos Vargas. Muñoz went two innings for the primary time in over seven years, although he solely wanted to throw 25 pitches to get his six outs — and he had the very best workload of the group.
That leaves Luke Jackson, Emerson Hancock and Bryce Miller as the one utterly recent arms within the bullpen — although if Miller comes on in reduction, it may influence his potential to probably begin one of many later video games within the sequence.
However all of Seattle’s relievers have expertise working back-to-back days, and with a journey day on the horizon Monday, as Muñoz mentioned: “It’s the playoffs, we’re going to attempt to push a bit extra to get the win.”
Mariners: The Mariners already know that they’ll be with out Bryan Woo (pectoral irritation) for this ALDS after not together with him on their 26-man roster. Nonetheless, Wilson mentioned that the 2025 All-Star will proceed to undergo his throwing development — which included mild catch play within the outfield forward of Recreation 1 — with the hope that he may return to the AL Championship Sequence, ought to the Mariners advance.
Who’s scorching and who isn’t?Tigers: Carpenter continues to really feel at residence at T-Cellular Park, the place he has 4 profession homers in seven video games. He has reached base safely in all however one in every of his 11 profession postseason video games, batting 10-for-32 with two homers, seven RBIs and 5 walks. … Greene is batting 6-for-16 this postseason, together with consecutive multihit video games.
Mariners: Rodríguez picked up proper the place he left off within the common season by going 3-for-5 with a homer and RBI single in Recreation 1, accounting for every of the Mariners’ solely two runs. In seven video games in opposition to Detroit this yr, he’s now 11-for-27 (.407) with 4 homers, two doubles, one triple and 9 RBIs, good for a 1.529 OPS. As for who’s not, Suárez is now hitting .154 with a .554 OPS in 85 plate appearances since his two-homer recreation in Atlanta on Sept. 7.
Anything followers may wish to know?Tigers: The Tigers have homered in consecutive postseason video games for the primary time since Oct. 2-3, 2014, in opposition to the Orioles within the AL Division Sequence.
Mariners: They’re nonetheless in search of their first postseason win at residence since Oct. 15, 2001, their series-clinching win in Recreation 5 of that yr’s ALDS over Cleveland. Since then, and clearly accounting for his or her 21-year playoff drought that ensued, they’ve misplaced their previous 4 playoff video games at T-Cellular Park.
