MLB Playoffs: How the Dodgers dominated the Phillies and advanced to the NLCS
After a Phillies pitcher error in Game 4, the Dodgers advance to the NLCS.
It was exhausting and exhilarating, frantic and delirious, and by the end, Game 5 of the American League Division Series was the longest winner-take-all game in major league history, by innings.
The drama, which culminated in Jorge Polanco’s grand slam in the bottom of the 15th inning to score J.P. Crawford and break the deadlock and advance the Seattle Mariners to the American League Championship Series, is full of statistical absurdities.
The Detroit Tigers were shut out the entire game, all the way to the final nine innings, but they still held out long enough to regret the many missed opportunities over the winter. Meanwhile, the Mariners will take a break from the celebration and fly to Toronto for Game 1 of the ALCS on Sunday, October 12th.
Before we move on, let’s take a look at nine of the most important and absurd numbers from the 15-inning epic.
37
The strikeouts for both teams are a tribute to both the great pitching and the sense of urgency with which the players held their bats in the final minutes.
The Tigers had three strikeouts against Eduardo Bazardo in the 13th and 14th innings, but there was a notable lack of aggression in situations that could have won the game. Bats were flying everywhere all night. Where can I find Statcast when I need specific data?
Still, 27 of his strikeouts came in the first nine innings, with 13 of them coming from Tarik Skubal, who set the record for most strikeouts in a winner-take-all game.
2
It was a consecutive overtime game in which the Mariners had the first two runners on base but were unable to score the winning run. In fact, in the bottom of the 12th inning, there was one out, one on first and second base, and no outs. and No. 9 batter JP Crawford’s count was 3-0, but he bunted twice and went to left.
The next batter, Randy Arozarena, grounded out to Kayder Montero, resulting in a 1-4-3 double play.
In the 13th inning, former starter Jack Flaherty started the frame by walking both Julio Rodriguez and Cal Lowry. Still, he threw a nasty full-count knuckle curve that struck out Jorge Polanco and stole a 6-4-3 double play from Eugenio Suarez.
Yes, the Mariners enjoyed the ultimate sense of fulfillment until the very end. But any player or fan will tell you that getting there was torture.
4
The starting pitchers who entered the game in relief practiced the “all hands on deck” mentality so dramatically quoted in winner-take-all games.
In fact, Mariners starters Logan Gilbert (who won Game 3) and Luis Castillo (started Game 2) had never appeared as a reliever in their careers. Gilbert gave up about three hits in two innings, and Castillo answered an even more onerous request by putting runners on base in the 14th inning. He induced an inning-ending popout from Javy Báez and then pitched a perfect 15th inning to deliver the win.
What was your bravest performance? That’s true for Tigers left-hander Troy Melton. He started Game 1 and saved Detroit’s season by pitching three shutout innings to win Game 4, but he added 10 scoreless innings in Game 5. More than that, to say the least.
9
Leo Rivas’ total RBIs entered the game suddenly became important in the 7th inning after the manager’s furious maneuvering. They were trailing 2-1 with two runners on and two outs. It was also his 28th birthday.
Surprise party: He hit a line drive into left field for the tying goal.
One more run wouldn’t last another eight innings — at which point Rivas was just shy of his 29th birthday.
101
Skubal’s fastball, his 99th and final pitch of the night, beat Cal Lowry and earned his 13th strikeout to end the sixth inning. It was Skubal’s 14th consecutive battering, and by then the Tigers had taken a 2-1 lead and needed nine outs to advance.
Sadly, the Mariners did a good job of upping Skubal’s pitch count, and the left-handed pitcher spent a lot of bullets trying to get punchouts. But the soon-to-be two-time Cy Young Award winner also proved himself in the postseason.
0 out of 18 games
A product of the Tigers’ 2-3-4 hitters Gleyber Torres, Riley Greene, and Spencer Torkelson. Both teams had seven strikeouts, four of them by Torkelson, and four runners were left in scoring position as the pitchers continued to score zeroes and Tigers fans begged and screamed and begged for just one run.
1
Humpy’s career wins at the Salmon Run at T-Mobile Park usually came midway through the fourth inning.
Still, desperate times call for desperate measures, and midway through the 15th, Safflower, Silver, King Salmon, and Humpy rolled out onto the warning track for another run.
Lo and behold, it was Humpy Night, and T-Mobile die-hard fans were in for a treat.
Just a few minutes later, Polanco’s single provided the series-winning run.
Coincidence?
43
The hours between the last pitch of Game 5 of the ALDS and the first pitch of Game 1 of the ALCS.
During that period, the Mariners were expected to voraciously drink beer, dry champagne, go to bed, wake up, fly to Toronto, train at the Rogers Center and, theoretically, get some sleep before the start of the next round.
Hit the snooze button a few times. You won.
