Why Mariners and Tigers’ Pitching Duel Keeps Fans on the Edge of Their Seats

Ah, the dance continues under the bright lights—Mariners versus Tigers at 4:08 ET, and I can’t help but wonder: with both teams mirroring each other in those nail-biting 3-2 finishes, is this a battle more about finesse or that single, thunderous homer? You’ve got Seattle, steamrolling into postseason play with the second overall seed but stumbling in their opener—extra innings heartbreak—only to claw their way back with an identical scoreline. Then there’s Detroit, grinding with a .247 team average but seemingly less homer-dependent than the Mariners, who paradoxically boast 40 more dingers but just eight extra runs—that’s a juicy stat to chew on, isn’t it? As Logan Gilbert gears up to throw his first playoff start this year against Jack Flaherty—whose own consistency might just be the wildcard tonight—we’re left wondering who’s really got the clutch gene when it counts. Given Gilbert’s late-season form and Flaherty’s see-saw performances, could this come down to a flash of power, or will pitching prowess keep the scoreboard modest? Buckle up, because this showdown looks like it’s not just about runs—it’s about who seizes that spotlight moment when it flashes. LEARN MORE

Mariners vs. Tigers, 4:08 ET

The National League had its turn in the spotlight yesterday, and we were able to get a victory. In those series, both teams that won Game 1 took Game 2 as well. The Cubs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a massive homer from Seiya Suzuki. It lasted exactly two outs as the Brewers mounted a comeback of their own, and Andrew Vaughn belted a towering bomb over the left-field wall to tie it up. From there, the Brewers continued the offensive dominance, winning the game 7-3. The Dodgers were in a pitching duel for much of the game, but escaped with a 4-3 win, surviving a scare in the 9th. Tonight, we switch to the American League and get a matinee game between the Mariners and the Tigers.

The Mariners were arguably the hottest team in baseball before the season ended, but after some days off due to winning the second overall seed, they dropped their playoff opener to the Tigers. It was a close game, with them losing in extra-innings. In Game 2, they had the exact same score of 3-2, but this time Seattle came out on top. It is interesting seeing the statistics between the two teams, because the Mariners added a ton of hitting at the deadline, I do see their lineup being better. However, the Tigers hit .247 for the season, compared to .244 for the Mariners. Seattle only scored eight more runs than the Tigers this season. The concern is that they had 40 more homers than Detroit, but only eight more runs? That makes a team very homer-dependent. In their win, Jorge Polanco hit two homers off of Tarik Skubal, something you wouldn’t expect. In their loss, they got one of their runs from Julio Rodriguez homering to center. So, of the five runs they’ve scored, three of them have come from home runs and two from other hits. In fairness, the Tigers hit a 2-run homer in their win. I just don’t find them quite as dependent on hitting home runs. I don’t love their offense, and they have scored three or fewer runs in four of the five playoff games.

Today, the matchup is between Logan Gilbert and Jack Flaherty. Gilbert is making his first playoff start of the year, but his second postseason start of his career. He allowed three earned runs over 5.1 innings in that start. For the season, Gilbert went 6-6 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. He might be in his best form of the year as September was his best month, going 27.1 innings and allowing just seven earned runs. He did face the Tigers twice this season, going 10.1 innings, and allowing three total earned runs. His start in Detroit, he went 5.1 innings, allowing two unearned runs on six hits while striking out nine hitters. Jack Flaherty helped get the Tigers here by winning the third and final game against the Guardians. He went 4.2 innings in that game, allowing one earned run on three hits. Seattle faced Flaherty once this season, with the Tigers hurler going five innings and allowing four hits, including two solo homers, while striking out seven. Overall, the Mariners have hit .238 against Flaherty, with 11 of their 24 hits going for extra bases.

To be honest with you, I feel like there won’t be a game in this series that goes over eight runs. I don’t really love Flaherty, I think he is a decent enough pitcher, but he is fairly inconsistent. I think this game can come down to whoever hits the longball, and that’s likely to be the Mariners. Gilbert doesn’t give up too many hits, so stringing together hits isn’t a great option either. I’m going to back the under for this game.

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