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During an intense extra-inning contest, Jorge Polanco drove in the winning run with a base hit to the outfield, clinching a narrow win for the Seattle Mariners over the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.

Key Moments in the Marathon Matchup

The Mariners pitcher, delivering his first relief appearance in the major leagues, threw over an inning to earn the win, propelling his team to the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2001.

The Mariners will now face the Blue Jays for the pennant in a contest between 1977 expansion brethren. The series opener is scheduled for the weekend in Toronto.

15th Inning Game-Winning Sequence

• The leadoff hitter started the bottom of the 15th with a line-drive single to right field.
• Another batter was struck by a throw, placing players on first and second.
• After Cal Raleigh made an out, a fielding mistake by the outfielder allowed the runner to advance.
• Following an strategic base on balls, the batter connected on a full count to conclude the game.

Scoring Highlights and Pitching Efforts

Kerry Carpenter provided all of the visitors' offense with a home run in the middle frames.

Seattle evened the score at 2-2 in the seventh on a pinch hitter's run-scoring hit.

Each squad posed a danger repeatedly in extra innings, with the Mariners grounding into twin killings in both the 12th and 13th.

Starting Pitchers Duel

Tarik Skubal and the Mariners' starter delivered a low-scoring battle in the early innings.

The left-hander, a pitching honor contender, gave up a single score on a couple of hits with no walks and 13 strikeouts over multiple frames. He set a playoff mark with seven consecutive strikeouts.

His sole allowed score occurred in the early going, when a two-base hit, stolen base, and deep out brought home a point for the Mariners.

Kirby opened with shutout frames before allowing a lead-off double in the middle inning. After a pitching change, Carpenter went deep on a pitch to give Detroit the lead.

The starter went five-plus innings and was responsible for a single score on a few hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

This victory marks a major achievement for the Seattle franchise, who advance to compete for a spot in the World Series after a extended playoff drought.