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The Seattle Mariners earned a bye to the ALDS round by virtue of finishing 90-72 this season, which was good enough for their first AL West title since 2001 and the second-best record among AL division winners. The Detroit Tigers had hopes of getting a bye for nearly the entire season, but blowing a 14-game lead in the AL Central meant they needed to hit the road in the Wild Card Series as a No. 6 seed. No matter — the Tigers took down the Guardians in three games to advance here.
Detroit eked out an extra-inning win in Game 1 and now head into Game 2 with their ace on the mound.
The Tigers and Mariners have never squared off in the playoffs before, so it’s a fresh matchup. The Tigers haven’t won the World Series since 1984, while the Mariners are the only team in baseball to have never been to the World Series. Bet Tigers vs. Mariners at FanDuel Sportsbook, where new users get $300 in bonus bets with a winning $5 wager:
Mariners vs. Tigers schedule
Game 1
Sat., Oct. 4
DET 3, SEA 2
FS1
Game 2
Sun., Oct. 5
8:03 p.m. ET
FS1
fuboGame 3Tues., Oct. 74:08 p.m. ETFS1fuboGame 4 (if nec.)Wed., Oct. 83:08 p.m. or 7:08 p.m. ETFS1fuboGame 5 (if nec.)Fri., Oct. 104:40 p.m. or 8:08 p.m. ETFS1 or FoxfuboMariners vs. Tigers: Game 2 infoTime: 8:03 p.m. ET | Date: Sunday, Oct. 5Location: T-Mobile Park — SeattleTV channel: Fox | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)Starting pitchers: LHP Tarik Skubal (DET) vs. RHP Luis Castillo (SEA)Odds: Tigers -128, Mariners +105
Game 2 storylines
Mariners: The Mariners threw all their best relievers in Game 1 but it wasn’t enough. Now they have to face Tarik Skubal. That’s an almost impossible ask for anyone, especially for a team whose non-Cal Raleigh/Julio RodrÃguez hitters went 0 for 28.
Tigers: The Tigers pulled off a big win in Game 1. Now they get to throw Tarik Skubal. Can they take the first two games from the Mariners in their house and then bring it home to Detroit?
Game 2 prediction
It’s hard to bet against Skubal, who was as dominant as he’s ever been in the Wild Card Series and will be in a ballpark that favors pitchers. Expect another low-scoring game with Skubal leading Detroit to a win. — Mike Axisa