Editor’s note: Parts of this article were originally published Oct. 11, 2024, and Oct. 2, 2025. The article has been updated.

These Tigers sure are getting used to this.

For the third time in the last two postseasons, the Tigers will play a winner-take-all playoff game when they face the Mariners in Game 5 of the American League Division Series on Friday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

It’s already the second such game for the Tigers this postseason, after they beat the Guardians in Game 3 of the best-of-three, Wild Card Series, 6-3, at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Oct. 2. That gave the Tigers some revenge, after falling to the Guardians in Game 5 of the best-of-five Division Series a year ago.

“It feels great,” said Tigers shortstop Javy Baez, who missed the postseason push and the playoffs a year ago with a hip injury, but has come up huge this October, including with a two-run homer and an RBI single in the Tigers’ 9-3 victory over the Mariners in Game 4 of the ALDS at Comerica Park on Wednesday.

“Honestly, I wish I was part of it last year.”

Friday’s winner will move on to face the Toronto Blue Jays in the best-of-seven AL Championship Series, starting Sunday in Toronto. The Blue Jays eliminated the Yankees, 5-2, in Game 4 on Wednesday night in New York.

A win Friday would give Detroit its first appearance in the ALCS since 2013.

Thursday’s game will mark the Tigers’ 12th winner-take-all postseason game in the franchise’s 125-year history. They’re 6-5 in the previous 11. This game also marks their 27th playoff game in which they’ve faced potential elimination. They’re 13-13 in the previous 26, and have won two straight such games this postseason.

“That’s why you play the game,” said Tigers rookie pitcher Troy Melton, who started Game 1 of the ALDS (which the Tigers won) and pitched in relief in Game 4 (which the Tigers also won). “To win big games in front of big crowds.”

Here’s a look at the Tigers’ previous winner-take-all games:

1909 World Series, Game 7 (loss)

The Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates alternated wins the first six games of the series, before Pittsburgh took command of Game 7 early at Bennett Park in Detroit against Bill Donovan to deny Detroit its first World Series title. Ty Cobb, just a .262 hitter in 17 career postseason games, went 0-for-4, as the Tigers lost a third consecutive World Series.

1934 World Series, Game 7 (loss)

This was Detroit’s first time back to the World Series since 1909, and the Tigers seized control of the series with a 3-2 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. But they dropped Game 6, 4-3, then were blown out in Game 7, 11-0, at Navin Field in Detroit. The Cardinals sent 13 men to the plate in a seven-run third, to beat Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg and Co.

1940 World Series, Game 7 (loss)

The Tigers and Cincinnati Reds alternated wins for the first six games before the Reds took the title with a 2-1 win at Crosley Field in Cincinnati with a two-run seventh inning against Tigers pitcher Bobo Newsom. Charlie Gehringer led off the next inning with a single, bringing up Hank Greenberg, who lined out. The Tigers went quietly from there.

1945 World Series, Game 7 (win)

The Tigers lost an 11-inning thriller to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field the day before, but bounced back to win Game 7, 9-3, for the franchise’s second World Series title. “Prince” Hal Newhouser, future Hall-of-Famer making his third start in the series, won his second game, with 10 strikeouts, while Paul Richards had two doubles and four RBIs.

1968 World Series, Game 7 (win)

The Tigers dug themselves a huge hole, before winning Games 5 and 6 to force a Game 7 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, against Cardinals ace Bob Gibson. Jim Northrup’s three-run triple in the seventh broke a scoreless tie and Mickey Lolich won for the third time in the series, 4-1, as Detroit became the third team to rally from a 3-1 hole to win a World Series.

1972 ALCS, Game 5 (loss)

There still were remnants of the 1968 World Series championship team on this Tigers team, which was facing a mighty A’s team and fell behind, 2-0, in the best-of-five series. The Tigers won thrillers in Games 3 and 4, but lost, 2-1, at Tiger Stadium. Reggie Jackson stole home for a run, and Gene Tenace drove in the winner to eliminate Billy Martin’s Tigers.

2011 ALDS, Game 5 (win)

The Tigers and New York Yankees alternated wins the first four games, sending the series back to Yankee Stadium for Game 5 — where the Tigers ambushed Ivan Nova, with Don Kelly and Delmon Young homering back-to-back in the first inning. Doug Fister was solid starting, and Max Scherzer, Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde closed it for a 3-2 win.

2012 ALDS, Game 5 (win)

The Tigers won the first two at home, then the A’s won the next two at home — with Game 5 played at the Oakland Coliseum back in the old 2-3 format. Austin Jackson had an RBI double and an RBI single, and Justin Verlander did Justin Verlander things, tossing a complete-game shutout, 6-0. Verlander allowed just four hits and struck out 11.

2013 ALDS, Game 5 (win)

So nice, the Tigers did it twice — fueled by a war of words between Victor Martinez and Grant Balfour late in Game 3, the Tigers won Game 4, then headed back to Oakland for Game 5, where Verlander was at his best again, allowing two hits and striking out 10 in eight innings. A hobbling Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer off Sonny Gray in the 3-0 win.

2024 ALDS, Game 5 (loss)

The Tigers had a chance to close out the Guardians at home at Comerica Park in Game 4, but they couldn’t get it done. They still had ace Tarik Skubal on the mound for Game 5 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, and took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning, before Lane Thomas tagged Skubal for a grand slam in the bottom half, en route to a 7-3 victory.

2025 Wild Card Series, Game 3 (win)

The teams split the first two games, with the Tigers getting just enough offense to back ace Tarik Skubal in Game 1, back in Cleveland, but not in Game 2. They finally busted out with a huge five-run seventh inning to win Game 3, 6-3, eliminating the Guardians, who rallied from 15.5 games back of Detroit to win the division.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984