One year since the Mariners' greatest-ever season hit its absolute peak

One year ago today, like so many Mariners fans, I found myself at a bar late into the evening, watching the longest winner-take-all game in MLB history play out right before my very eyes.

While the high-stakes 2025 ALDS Game 5 took place at T-Mobile Park, tickets had skyrocketed as anticipation grew for what fans hoped would become an unforgettable Mariners season. But, that didn't matter, and by the end of the night, the Mariners had won. But not before giving fans the fright of their life. It was, after all, the middle of October, and postseason baseball was in full swing.

The back-and-forth battle between the Detroit Tigers and the Mariners nearly pushed Seattle to their breaking point, before finally delivering the moment everyone had been waiting for. A 3-2 win in 15 long innings. The streets of Seattle erupted in celebration. Finally, after decades of heartbreak, the possibility of a World Series appearance suddenly felt real and tangible. Hope returned to a city that spent far too long waiting for a moment just like this one.

Little did we know what was yet to come. Looking back now, that night stands out as the absolute peak of the Mariners' 2025 season. A high that Seattle fans would spend the following year wishing they could live all over again.

What a game for the Seattle Mariners, one year ago today

Game 5 of the 2025 ALDS was truly wild. Lasting 4 hours and 58 minutes, the game pushed both teams to their limits while testing the nerves of everyone watching. Seattle struck first in the fourth inning when Mitch Garver sent out a sacrifice fly to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead. But facing a pitcher like Tarik Skubal meant no advantage ever felt safe. The Tigers' pitcher struck out 13 Mariners batters, including seven consecutive hitters at one point.

Eventually, Detroit found their opening in the sixth, thanks to Kerry Carpenter. He launched a two-run home run off Gabe Speier, putting the Tigers ahead 2-1, threatening to put an end to the Mariners' postseason run.

But, Seattle wasn't ready to go home quite yet. With two outs in the seventh, Leo Rivas delivered a clutch RBI single off Tyler Holton to tie the game 2-2, on what so happened to be Rivas' 28th birthday.

The back-and-forth baseball went on for 15 electric innings until eventually, Jorge Polanco came through for Seattle. His walk-off hit sent the Mariners straight to their first American League Championship Series in 24 years. A moment that no Mariners fan is likely to forget.

That game earned recognition among the greatest playoff games of the 21st century, and it's easy to see why. Even one year later, looking back on that night comes with nerves, disbelief, and eventually, relief that it was finally over.

The Game 5 memory hits different a year later

Immediately after the game ended, the Mariners celebrated, knowing they were finally headed to the ALCS. It was a night unlike any other in Seattle. The Mariners were just four wins away from the World Series, and the dream of a championship felt closer than ever.

Unfortunately, we know how that story ended.

I remember sitting at a Seahawks game during the ALCS and looking around to a sea of phones held up throughout the stadium. Fans crowded beneath the TVs, watching the Mariners as a football game carried on around them. For that piece of October, Seattle baseball had everyone's attention.

And, more than anything, I remember the feeling in the stadium when it was over. The excitement and anticipation gave way to disappointment and deflation. The Mariner's season had ended, and with it went the hope the city had carried all season long.

One year ago, the Mariners gave us one unforgettable night in October. I just wish I'd known at the time how much it would mean to me one short year later.

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