Zach McKinstry came through in the clutch, singling home the go-ahead run with two outs in the 11th inning as the Detroit Tigers outlasted the Seattle Mariners 3-2 in a tense, extra-inning thriller Saturday night to open their American League Division Series.
In the first extra-inning game of this postseason, McKinstry wasted no time, jumping on the first pitch he saw from Seattle reliever Carlos Vargas — a 99.6 mph sinker — and grounding it sharply up the middle to bring home Spencer Torkelson from second base. Torkelson had drawn a leadoff walk and advanced on a wild pitch earlier in the inning, setting up the decisive moment.
The victory continues Detroit’s improbable postseason surge. After nearly squandering a large division lead and barely securing a playoff berth, the Tigers carried the resilience they showed in their Wild Card Series win over Cleveland into this matchup. Detroit now holds a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-five series and will send their ace, Tarik Skubal, to the mound Sunday with a chance to seize firm control.
Kerry Carpenter provided the Tigers’ early offense, blasting a two-run homer in the fifth inning to give Detroit a 2-0 lead. But Seattle clawed back late, with Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh driving in runs to tie the game and force extras.
Detroit’s bullpen — a weak spot at times during the regular season — held firm when it mattered most. A combination of Will Vest, Alex Lange, and Shelby Miller kept Seattle off the scoreboard across the final four innings, setting the stage for McKinstry’s heroics.
The Mariners, winners of the AL West, now face pressure heading into Game 2 at T-Mobile Park. They’ll need a strong performance to avoid heading to Detroit down two games, while the Tigers will look to ride their momentum — and their ace — to a commanding series lead.
