Game Notes, 10/10/2025 – LDS Day 7

Detroit’s Bill Donovan issues his first pitch to Pittsburgh’s leadoff hitter, Bobby Byrne … Christy Mathewson and Smoky Joe Wood duel it out for the final three innings … Walter Johnson receives a chance at redemption … Pete Alexander comes on in relief to fan Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded … Dizzy Dean goes full DIZZY DEAN … the Yankees and Dodgers go at it – again and again and again …  Willie McCovey lines one to the exact wrong spot … Sandy Koufax makes a start … Bob Gibson makes a start, then another, then another …  Roberto Clemente homers off Mike Cuellar … Boston and Cincinnati have to resume things AFTER Fisk … Bret Saberhagen and George Brett embrace in the middle of the diamond …  Sid Bream chugs and Russell Martin slugs and Madison Bumgarner saves the day.  Bill Mazeroski and Chris Chambliss and Aaron Boone swing and live out a dream after Ralph Terry and Mark Littell and Tim Wakefield deliver and face a nightmare … 

On October 16, 1909, a narrative was set in motion by that Donovan-to-Byrne pitch.  One game for all the marbles, one game as the canvas on which to depict heroes and goats, one game as the reference point for everlasting snapshots – of the events that led up to the some of the most indelible moments in sports history, of the events that seemed immense at the time but became footnotes in deference to what followed, of the throwers and swingers and runners and fielders who gave flesh to the tension, who rode it and felt it and used it to enthrall and heart- break.  

On October 16, 1909, the Pirates defeated the Tigers in Game 7.  Babe Adams went the distance in the 9-0 shutout; Donovan took the loss and his star teammate Ty Cobb took an 0-for-4.   The echoes from that contest – that very first winner-take-all affair in the World Series era – provide the outermost layers to every one that has followed, with every one adding its own narrative and imagery to the aggregated tale.   

From the very first pitch to the final moment when one side jubilates and the other despairs, one contest – whether it’ll play out over nine innings or stretch beyond – for everything:  it’s the best.  

*Tigers v. Mariners*

In the longest winner-take-all game in postseason history, the Mariners did just enough to exchange their ticket for entrance into the ALCS.  Seattle’s 3-2 victory in 15 innings over Detroit left all kinds of imprints on the game’s books.

There have been 137 winner-take-all contests in postseason history, starting with the Pirates and Tigers meeting in Game 7 of the 1909 Fall Classic.  Only 14 of these apexes of tension have then found that nine innings wasn’t enough.  The full list of the 14, ending with Friday night’s masterpiece:  

Extra-Inning, Postseason Winner-Take-Alls

1912 World Series, Game 8(⌘):  the Red Sox defeat the Giants in 10 innings

1924 World Series, Game 7:  the Senators defeat the Giants in 12 innings

1980 NLCS, Game 5:  the Phillies defeat the Astros 10 innings*

1991 World Series, Game 7:  the Twins defeat the Braves in 10 innings

1995 ALDS, Game 5:  the Mariners defeat the Yankees in 11 innings

1997 World Series, Game 7:  the Marlins defeat the Indians in 11 innings

2003 ALCS, Game 7:  the Yankees defeat the Red Sox in 11 innings

2011 NLDS, Game 5:  the Brewers defeat the Diamondbacks in 10 innings

2014 ALWC:  the Royals defeat the Athletics in 12 innings

2016 ALWC:  the Blue Jays defeat the Orioles in 11 innings

2016 World Series, Game 7:  the Cubs defeat the Indians in 10 innings*

2018 NLWC:  the Rockies defeat the Cubs in 13 innings*

2019 NLDS, Game 5:  the Nationals defeat the Dodgers in 10 innings*

2025 ALDS, Game 5:  the Mariners defeat the Tigers in 15 innings

(⌘) – there was a tie in Game 2, so the best-of-seven series actually went eight games

*The starred results above indicate the visiting team won the game, meaning there are 10 walk-off wins in these 14 crucibles.  The heroes with the bats, ending with Friday night’s deliverer, Jorge Polanco …

1912 World Series:  Boston’s Larry Gardner delivers a sac fly

1924 World Series:  Washington’s Earl McNeely with an RBI double

1991 World Series:  Minnesota’s Gene Larkin with an RBI single

1995 ALDS:  Seattle’s Edgar Martínez delivers a two-run double

1997 World Series:  Florida’s Édgar Rentería with an RBI single

2003 ALCS:  New York’s Aaron Boone delivers a solo home run

2011 NLDS:  Milwaukee’s Nyjer Morgan with an RBI single

2014 ALWC:  Kansas City’s Salvador Perez with an RBI single

2016 ALWC:  Toronto’s Edwin Encarnación hits a three-run home run

2025 ALDS:  Seattle’s Jorge Polanco with an RBI single

With their enduring moments, Edgar Martínez and Jorge Polanco sandwich Carlos Guillén as Mariners to deliver a walk-off hit to end a postseason series.  In Game 3 of the 2000 ALDS, the pinch-hitter singled in the bottom of the ninth to give Seattle a 2-1 win that ended the game and series.   

With Edgar Martínez and Jorge Polanco and Carlos Guillén, the Mariners can boast of three representatives among 31 to have delivered a postseason walk-off hit that clinched a series.  If that feels like a lot for one franchise, it is.  Only the Yankees have that many, with eight other franchises having two.  In honor of Polanco, let’s unload – 

Mariners – Edgar Martínez (1995 ALDS), Carlos Guillén (2000 ALDS), Jorge Polanco (2025 ALDS)

Yankees – Billy Martin (1953 WS), Chris Chambliss (1976 ALCS), Aaron Boone (2003 ALCS)

Red Sox – David Ortiz (2004 ALDS), Jed Lowrie (2008 ALDS)

Tigers – Goose Goslin (1935 WS) Magglio Ordóñez (2006 ALCS)

Astros – Chris Burke (2005 NLDS), Jose Altuve (2019 ALCS)

Senators/Twins – Earl McNeely (1924 WS), Gene Larkin (1991 WS)

Dodgers – Bill Russell (1978 NLCS), Chris Taylor (2021 NLWC)

Giants – Kenny Lofton (2002 NLCS), Travis Ishikawa (2014 NLCS)

Diamondbacks – Tony Womack (2001 NLDS), Luis Gonzalez (2001 WS)

Blue Jays – Joe Carter (1993 WS), Edwin Encarnación (2016 AL WC)

The Mariners are headed to the franchise’s fourth ALCS, having experienced losses in 1995 to the Indians and in 2000 and 2001 to the Yankees.

Detroit’s Tarik Skubal fanned 13 over his six innings of one-run ball.  The K-tally represents a new apex for a hurler in a winner-take-all postseason game, eclipsing the dozen that was established a little more than a week ago, when Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler fanned 12 in Game 3 of the ALWC.  For all winner-take-all contests, 13 pitchers have racked up double-digit K’s, with Skubal one of four Tigers to do it.  In Game 7 of the 1945 World Series, Hal Newhouser fanned 10; in Game 5 of the 2012 ALDS, Justin Verlander struck out 11; in Game 5 of the 2013 ALDS, Verlander notched 10 K’s.

~Skubal’s 2025 postseason consisted of three starts, a 1.74 ERA in 20.2 innings and 36 strikeouts, with single-game tallies of 14, nine and 13 punchouts.

→There are 17 Tigers pitchers who registered at least 20.0 innings in any single postseason.  From lowest to highest ERA, Skubal’s 1.74 in 2025 comes in as the sixth lowest.  He and the five who dove lower:

0.00    Kenny Rogers (2006) in 23.0 IP*

0.39    Justin Verlander (2013) in 23.0 IP

1.29    Bill Donovan (1907) in 21.0 IP

1.38    Bobo Newsom (1940) in 26.0 IP

1.67    Mickey Lolich (1968) in 27.0 IP

1.74    Tarik Skubal (2025) in 20.2 IP

*Rogers is one of five pitchers with at least 20.0 IP and a 0.00 ERA in a postseason.  Three of the others – Waite Hoyt in 1921, Carl Hubbell in 1933 and Matt Cain in 2010 – did have an unearned run (or more) on their respective ledgers, with only Rogers and Christy Mathewson in 1905 keeping the runs column pristine.  Now, back to Skubal …

→With 14 K’s in his Game 1 start in the ALWC and now these 13 punchouts in Game 5 of the ALDS, Skubal became the first pitcher to notch at least 13 in multiple outings in a year.  

→For his postseason career, Skubal owns a 2.04 ERA and has tallied 56 strikeouts.  A little bit of context for these two figures:

^Skubal is among 181 pitchers who, through their first six postseason appearances, collected at least 30.0 innings pitched.  Among them, his 2.04 ERA ties him with Juan Guzmán for the 43rd lowest.  Blue Moon Odom, with his 0.84, owns the lowest mark.

^Most Strikeouts Through First 6 Postseason Games

57    Bob Gibson

56    Tarik Skubal

53    Mike Mussina

In a command performance for any postseason contest, let alone one deciding the fate of both teams, Tigers leadoff hitter Kerry Carpenter singled three times, homered for Detroit’s only two runs of the game and drew a pair of walks.

~Carpenter tied the postseason record for times reaching safely, with his six.  In Game 6 of the 1945 World Series, Cubs third baseman Stan Hack had four hits and two walks, while in Game 3 of the 1995 World Series, Cleveland’s Kenny Lofton had three hits and three walks.  Before Carpenter’s effort, the high mark for a winner-take-all contest had been five, shared by Babe Ruth (1926 WS, G7), Carlos Beltrán (2012 NLDS, G5) and Eric Hosmer (2014 ALWC).

~Carpenter’s seven total bases tied for the third most for any leadoff hitter in a winner-take-all affair.  Johnny Damon (2004 ALCS, G7) and Yandy Díaz (2019 ALWC) each tallied nine, while Dustin Pedroia (2007 ALCS, G7) also had seven.

Cal Raleigh singled and drew a pair of walks in the series finale, finishing the five-game set with a .381/.480/.571/1.051 line.  Taking each component by itself …

Mariners – Highest BA in a Postseason Series (min. 15 PA)

.600   Ichiro Suzuki (2001 ALDS)

.571   Edgar Martínez (1995 ALDS)

.458   Jay Buhner (1995 ALDS)

.409   Tino Martinez (1995 ALDS)

.409   Álex Rodríguez (2000 ALCS)

.391   Ken Griffey, Jr. (1995 ALDS)

.381   Cal Raleigh (2025 ALDS)

Mariners – Highest OBP in a Postseason Series (min. 15 PA)

.667   Edgar Martínez (1995 ALDS)

.619   Ichiro Suzuki (2001 ALDS)

.500   Jay Buhner (1995 ALDS)

.480   Tino Martinez (1995 ALDS)

.480   Álex Rodríguez (2000 ALCS)

.480   Cal Raleigh (2025 ALDS)

Mariners – Highest SLG in a Postseason Series (min. 15 PA)

1.043   Ken Griffey, Jr. (1995 ALDS)

1.000   Edgar Martínez (1995 ALDS)

.783     Jay Buhner (1995 ALCS)

.773     Álex Rodríguez (2000 ALCS)

.750     Edgar Martínez (2001 ALDS)

.692     Jay Buhner (1997 ALDS)

.650     John Olerud (2000 ALCS)

.650     Ichiro Suzuki (2001 ALDS)

.632     Bret Boone (2001 ALCS)

.625     Jay Buhner (1995 ALDS)

.591     Tino Martinez (1995 ALDS)

.571     Ken Griffey, Jr. (1995 ALCS)

.571     Cal Raleigh (2025 ALDS)

Mariners – Highest OPS in a Postseason Series (min. 15 PA)

1.667    Edgar Martínez (1995 ALDS)

1.488    Ken Griffey, Jr. (1995 ALDS)

1.269    Ichiro Suzuki (2001 ALDS)

1.253    Álex Rodríguez (2000 ALCS)

1.226    Edgar Martínez (2001 ALDS)

1.143    Jay Buhner (1995 ALCS)

1.125    Jay Buhner (1995 ALDS)

1.071    Tino Martinez (1995 ALDS)

1.067    Jay Buhner (1997 ALDS)

1.051    Cal Raleigh (2025 ALDS)

Thanks to Baseball Reference and its extraordinary research database, Stathead, for help in assembling this piece.