SEATTLE (AP) \u2014 Jorge Polanco hit a game-ending single in the 15th inning, and the Seattle Mariners advanced to the AL Championship Series by outlasting the Detroit Tigers for a 3-2 victory Friday night in the longest winner-take-all postseason game in baseball history.<\/p>\n
With one out and the bases loaded, Polanco drove in J.P. Crawford with a liner to right on a full-count changeup from Tommy Kahnle. Crawford held his arms in the air as he touched home plate while the Mariners poured out of the dugout to celebrate in front of a frenzied crowd of 47,025.<\/p>\n
Crawford hit a leadoff single, Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch and Julio Rodr\u00edguez was intentionally walked before Polanco\u2019s big swing<\/a> on the 472nd pitch of an epic Game 5 that clocked in at 4 hours, 58 minutes.<\/p>\n It was the third one-run game \u2014 all with a 3-2 score \u2014 in a tightly contested AL Division Series.<\/p>\n \u201cI know we played a long game, but this team never gave up,\u201d Polanco said. \u201cI know there is a lot of emotion, but we are always trying to keep it simple. I\u2019m just trying to go out there and play and trying to get the win.\u201d <\/p>\n The Mariners left 12 runners on base and still managed to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2001. Next up is a matchup with the AL East champion Blue Jays, beginning on Sunday night at Toronto.<\/p>\n \u201cJust an incredible ballgame from top to bottom,\u201d Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. <\/p>\n Luis Castillo pitched 1 1\/3 innings for the win in his first major league relief appearance. Logan Gilbert, another member of Seattle\u2019s rotation, worked two scoreless innings in his first relief outing since his college days at Stetson University in 2017.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was such a tough night,\u201d Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh said. \u201cEveryone put their other stuff side and did everything for the team, including Logan and Luis.\u201d<\/p>\n Detroit wasted a stellar performance by Tarik Skubal<\/a>, who struck out 13 while pitching six innings of one-run ball. The Tigers went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had an incredible game today that \u2014 unfortunately, somebody had to lose, and that somebody was us, and it hurts,\u201d manager A.J. Hinch said.<\/p>\n Kerry Carpenter put Detroit in front when he hit a two-run homer off Gabe Speier in the sixth inning. Carpenter had four hits and walked twice, becoming the first player to reach five times and hit a home run in a winner-take-all postseason game since Babe Ruth in 1926, according to STATS<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Mariners tied it at 2 on Leo Rivas\u2019 pinch-hit single off Tyler Holton in the seventh. Rivas celebrated his 28th birthday with his first postseason hit.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was up to the task tonight,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cIt was a huge hit.\u201d<\/p>\n The Mariners had a runner on second with no outs in the 10th, 12th and 13th inning \u2014 and came up empty each time. Arozarena and Eugenio Su\u00e1rez both grounded into a double play in extra innings. <\/p>\n The Tigers threatened in the 12th, putting runners on second and third with one out. Zach McKinstry was cut down at home when he attempted to score on Javier B\u00e1ez\u2019s grounder to third. After Carpenter was walked intentionally, Gleyber Torres flied out to right.<\/p>\n Dillon Dingler hit a one-out double for Detroit in the 14th, but he was stranded there when Parker Meadows struck out looking against Eduard Bazardo and Castillo retired B\u00e1ez on a popup to first.<\/p>\n \u201cGuys just kept battling. There were opportunities on both sides after the ninth inning,\u201d Hinch said. <\/p>\n Up next<\/p>\n Seattle dropped four of its six games against Toronto this season. The Mariners won two of three in an April series in Toronto, but they were swept by the Blue Jays at home from May 9-11.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n