Former Twin sends Mariners to ALCS with one magical swing in historic Game 5

Former Twin Jorge Polanco walks off Tigers in insane Game 5 to send Mariners to ALCS

With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 15th inning and the game tied 2-2 in a winner-take-all situation on Friday night at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, former Twins infielder Jorge Polanco took one magical swing, collecting a walk-off single to defeat the Detroit Tigers and send the Seattle Mariners to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) against the Toronto Blue Jays.

It was the longest winner-take-all game in MLB history, lasting four hours and 58 minutes, with 15 total pitchers used, 472 pitches thrown and 22 runners left on base. There were also 37 strikeouts, which is tied for the third most in a postseason game.

Overall, Polanco's statistics aren't great this postseason, as the former Twin went 4-for-22 in the ALDS. However, he came through when the Mariners needed it. His other three hits, two of them solo homers off Tigers starter Tarik Skubal, came in the Mariners' 3-2 Game 2 victory. If the Mariners didn't have Polanco, there is a good chance Detroit would be preparing to take on Toronto in the ALCS.

Another former Twin played a vital role in Seattle's Game 5 victory, as Mitch Garver started the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center field off Skubal, marking the only run the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner allowed in his six innings of work.

Skubal also finished the game with 13 strikeouts, making him the first pitcher in history with multiple 13-strikeout games in a single postseason, as he struck out 14 in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Guardians.

Detroit took a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning after Kerry Carpenter hit a two-run homer off lefty reliever Gabe Speier.

Seattle tied the game in the next inning on a clutch, two-out RBI single from pinch-hitter Leo Rivas.

After Seattle's win, the teams still alive this postseason are the Mariners, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Cubs and Brewers. The Blue Jays will host the Mariners in the ALCS, which begins Sunday night, and the Dodgers will play the winner of Saturday night's NLDS Game 5 between the Cubs and Brewers in the NLCS, which starts on Monday.