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Through a gripping 15-inning battle, the Mariners' infielder delivered the decisive score with a base hit to right field, clinching a narrow win for the Seattle Mariners over the Detroit Tigers in the decisive game of the ALDS.

Key Moments in the Marathon Game

Luis Castillo, making his initial bullpen outing in the big leagues, pitched over an inning to secure the victory, propelling his team to the AL Championship Series for the initial occasion since 2001.

The Mariners will now face the Toronto for the pennant in a contest between 1977 expansion counterparts. Game 1 is scheduled for the weekend in the Blue Jays' home.

15th Inning Breakthrough

• The leadoff hitter started the final half of the 15th with a line-drive single to the outfield.
• Another batter was struck by a throw, placing runners on the bases.
• After a teammate made an out, a throwing error by the outfielder allowed Crawford to take third.
• Following an intentional walk, Polanco connected on a 3-2 pitch to end the contest.

Key Runs and Defensive Efforts

A Tigers hitter provided all of the visitors' offense with a home run in the sixth inning.

Seattle tied it at two runs apiece in the later inning on a substitute batter's RBI single.

Both teams posed a danger multiple times in overtime, with the Mariners grounding into inning-ending double plays in both the later extra innings.

Starting Pitchers Battle

Tarik Skubal and George Kirby delivered a low-scoring battle in the opening frames.

Skubal, a pitching honor contender, allowed one run on a couple of hits with zero bases on balls and 13 strikeouts over six innings. He set a playoff mark with back-to-back K's.

His sole allowed score occurred in the early going, when a two-base hit, theft, and sacrifice fly scored a run for the Mariners.

Kirby opened with five scoreless innings before allowing a early hit in the middle inning. After a pitching change, the Tigers batter went deep on a pitch to hand Detroit the lead.

The starter lasted over five frames and was charged with a single score on a few hits with zero free passes and several K's.

This victory marks a significant milestone for the Seattle franchise, who move forward to battle for a spot in the World Series after a long playoff drought.