The Seattle Mariners turned Comerica Park into their personal hitting gallery on Tuesday night, pounding out three home runs en route to an 8-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. With the win, Seattle seizes a commanding 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series, putting Detroit’s backs against the wall ahead of a pivotal Game 4 on Wednesday.
A four-hour rain delay pushed first pitch back to 7:00 p.m. ET, but it did little to dampen the Mariners’ offensive fireworks. Logan Gilbert, unfazed by the weather interruption, delivered a gem on the mound, scattering four hits over six innings while allowing just one run, walking none, and fanning seven on 85 pitches. His poise set the tone for a night where Seattle’s bats provided ample support, building an 8-1 cushion before a tense ninth-inning rally from the hosts.
The Mariners wasted no time asserting dominance. In the top of the third, Victor Robles ripped a leadoff double off Tigers starter Jack Flaherty. J.P. Crawford followed with a sharp single to right, and a wild throw from Riley Greene on the relay allowed Robles to slide home with the game’s first run on a razor-thin play at the plate. Randy Arozarena, acquired by Seattle in a midseason blockbuster, kept the line moving with an RBI single up the middle, plating Crawford to make it 2-0.
Flaherty, who entered the night with a 2.95 ERA in the regular season, couldn’t stem the tide. Eugenio Suárez crushed a solo homer to left in the fourth, his second postseason dinger of the series, pushing the lead to 3-0. Reliever Tommy Kahnle entered but immediately loaded the bases with walks and a hit-by-pitch, only for Cal Raleigh to lace a bases-loaded single that chased home Dominic Canzone for a 4-0 advantage.
Seattle’s middle order continued to feast. Crawford belted a solo shot in the sixth off Brant Hurter, restoring the four-run margin at 5-1. In the eighth, another Tigers error—this time by Kerry Carpenter—gifted Seattle a run on Crawford’s sacrifice fly, making it 6-1.
The fireworks peaked in the ninth when Raleigh, Seattle’s switch-hitting catcher and the majors’ home run leader with 38 in the regular season, turned on a two-run blast to right-center—his first career playoff homer—off a hanging slider from Will Vest. Batting lefty, Raleigh sent the ball sailing opposite field, extending the lead to 8-1 and igniting a pocket of Mariners fans in the stands who waved “Dump Here” shirts emblazoned with numbers 61 and 62, a nod to the team’s long playoff drought.
Detroit, playing with house money after stealing Game 1 in extras, finally stirred in the bottom of the fifth. Dillon Dingler was plunked by Gilbert, advanced on a bunt, and scampered home when Javy Báez’s grounder eluded a double-play attempt, slicing the deficit to 4-1. The Tigers went quietly from there until the ninth, when reliever Caleb Ferguson loaded the bases with no outs on a single, walk, double, and another single, plating three runs to pull within 8-4.
Enter closer Andrés Muñoz, who steadied the ship with high-leverage heat. First baseman Josh Naylor snared a scorching liner for an inning-ending double play, and Muñoz fanned the side to slam the door, earning the save in a game that tested Seattle’s bullpen depth.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mariners | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 0 |
| Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
Key Performers:
- Cal Raleigh (SEA): 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI – His ninth-inning bomb was a statement, marking the first playoff homer of his career and underscoring his breakout season.
- J.P. Crawford (SEA): 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 1 R – The shortstop’s timely hitting, including a sac fly, proved clutch in multiple frames.
- Eugenio Suárez (SEA): 1-for-4, HR, 1 RBI – The veteran third baseman’s power surge continues to haunt his former club.
- Logan Gilbert (SEA, W): 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K – Dominant control kept Detroit’s lineup at bay.
- Jack Flaherty (DET, L): 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K – Rough night for the ace, who couldn’t locate early.
Postgame, Raleigh tempered the celebration, emphasizing focus: “Job’s not finished,” he told reporters, a reminder that Seattle’s first ALCS berth since 2001 hangs in the balance.
For the Tigers, now facing elimination, the loss stings after a gritty Game 1 triumph and a narrow defeat in Game 2. Gleyber Torres and Báez showed flashes in the late rally, but defensive miscues and an anemic start at the plate—stranded in hitless droughts—doomed Detroit. Casey Mize takes the hill for Game 4 against Bryce Miller, with the hosts needing a miracle to force a return trip to T-Mobile Park.
As the Mariners inch closer to October glory, this rain-soaked rout in Motown serves as a harbinger: Seattle’s balanced attack is firing on all cylinders, and the Tigers’ season teeters on the brink.
