Tarik Skubal's ALDS Game 5 story will have Mariners fans hugging the MLB rulebook

It’s unlikely that Tarik Skubal intended to have Seattle Mariners fans reminisce about the MLB rulebook, but here we are now. Months after Game 5 of the ALDS, Mariners fans can still chuckle at what took place: a game that would not quit, and a southpaw ace who sat in the dugout so long that he began to wonder if he could just check in again later.

For a fanbase which had already witnessed Skubal throw 101 mph past Cal Raleigh on his 99th pitch, the idea that this same guy was going to get a second chance in a winner-takes-all game, is just pure nightmare material.

Tarik Skubal’s Game 5 memories prove Mariners vs Tigers was must see October drama

The Mariners and Skubal developed a hidden little rivalry during the 2025 season. The Mariners won two games against him in the ALDS and ultimately won 4 times total vs. Skubal in 2025. However, each game was an ultimate test of wills, and each at-bat had the potential to determine the course of that particular game. Game 5 would be the final test (for the year), and it would take 15 innings, two 7th inning stretches, and 5 hours and 15 minutes to grade.

Skubal’s perspective on that night, shared on Foul Territory, is what really elevates the legend. He talked about being in the dugout as the game dragged on and on, making the joke that he was sitting there thinking, “I wonder if they’d let me re-enter this game.” 

It’s funny because it’s impossible…and also because Mariners fans would react like, “Absolutely not. We’re good here.” Later in the interview, he admitted that as the innings piled up, it got hard to even watch, because he could no longer be part of it. That’s the human side of this: a dominant pitcher who had done his job, now stuck on the rail, helpless as his season played out without him — and you can watch Skubal talk through the entire scenario in the clip below.

From the Mariners’ side, Game 5 was grit on repeat. They didn’t exactly knock Skubal around — nobody really did in 2025 — but they did what they’ve done so often in this era: they refused to go away. They worked counts, battled with tough plate appearances, and made sure that once Skubal was out of the game, the Tigers’ bullpen would have to wear every bit of the extra innings. And that’s where things quietly tilted toward Seattle. A.J. Hinch held back Tommy Kahnle for as long as possible, clearly not eager to turn the ball over to one of his shakier relief options in a game like that.

The marathon of pressure and anticipation was rewarded in the bottom of the 15th when Jorge Polanco made the type of swing we will immediately associate with this night: a walk-off single for a 3-2 win, to send the crowd at T-Mobile Park into a frenzy and finally conclude that contest, and that series. On paper, that is simply one hit in a very long game. But for anyone who witnessed what transpired, it was the ultimate exclamation point to what had been an October saga.

So yeah, Mariners fans might be hugging the MLB rulebook a little tighter after hearing Skubal tell the story. His joke about re-entering, his honesty about how tough it was to watch once he was out, and his sheer dominance throughout the series all add layers to what was already a ridiculous game. 

Years from now, Game 5 won’t just be remembered as “the Polanco walk-off.” It’ll be remembered as the night Tarik Skubal was almost too good to be real, the night the Mariners answered with every ounce of stubbornness they had, and the night a 15-inning slog between Seattle and Detroit quietly joined the list of postseason matchups for the ages.