Mariners offense backs Logan Gilbert in Game 3 win for 2-1 ALDS lead vs. Tigers

Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times on Oct 7, 2025

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

DETROIT — The split-finger fastball — statistically the best strikeout pitch — was fired with complete conviction and cruel intentions.

Logan Gilbert didn’t want it to be his last pitch of the night, not with the way he was executing. But if his final pitch of the sixth inning was going to be his last of his outing, it was going to be nasty and not hittable — a punctuation mark to a stellar pitching performance.

Gilbert unfurled his 6-foot-7 frame in that familiar herky-jerky windup with the baseball jammed between his two pencil-length fingers. The ball started out on a belt-high trajectory and disappeared toward Spencer Torkelson’s back foot, leaving him helpless in a 1-2 count. He flailed at the pitch, missing it by eight inches.

The crowd of 41,525 at Comerica Park, still damp from a near three-hour rain delay before Game 3 of the American League Division Series and chilled by evening temps in the mid-50s groaned in disbelief, with many disgustedly heading for the exits.

Seeing the flawless execution, Gilbert’s face contorted into a glaring sneer and a strut as he headed for the Mariners dugout.

Walter (Gilbert’s alter ego) was back and he had moved the Mariners to a win away from the American League Championship Series.

Given what transpired late in the game, maybe it shouldn’t have been his final pitch. Regardless, Gilbert’s strong start — one of his best of in what has been a frustrating season — set the tone early and carried the Mariners to what was a relatively decisive 8-4 victory over the Tigers.

Gilbert pitched six innings, allowing only one run on four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts to get a deserved win.

When Cal Raleigh smashed a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to left-center to make it 8-1, the slow exodus of orange-clad fans that started after Gilbert finished the sixth turned en masse.

With a seven-run lead, and having used Matt Brash in the seventh and Eduard Bazardo in the eighth, Mariners manager Dan Wilson asked Caleb Ferguson to just find three outs in the ninth to the end game. The veteran lefty found zero, giving up three runs and forcing Wilson to bring in closer Andres Muñoz to finish it.

With a 2-1 lead in the ALDS, the Mariners are achingly close to returning to the ALCS for the first time since 2001.

After a flexor strain in April stole seven weeks of his season, and the return was a little shaky has he tried to regain his form, Gilbert looked like the All-Star pitcher in 2024 that was named the opening day starter this season.

The Mariners picked up their first run off Tigers starter Jack Flaherty in the third inning, aided by a silly error from the Tigers.

Victor Robles led off with a double to left. When J.P. Crawford dumped a single into shallow left field, Robles made a conservative read before advancing on the single, happy to move to third base. But he was able to race home when Riley Greene’s throw in from left field was wayward. Third baseman Zach McKinstry watched the ball roll by him. Forced to field it unexpectedly, catcher Dillon Dingler misplayed it, allowing it roll between his legs toward the backstop.

Seeing what transpired, Robles took off for home while Flaherty raced after the ball, flipping it to Dingler covering the plate.

Robles slid in just before Dingler’s tag on a play that was close enough to be reviewed. The safe call was confirmed and the Mariners had their first run.

Randy Arozarena made it 2-0, punching a single up the middle that scored Crawford from second. When Flaherty walked Raleigh to put runners on first and second, the Mariners seemed poised to break the game open and knock Flaherty out of the game.

Instead the veteran right-hander prolonged his outing momentarily, striking out Julio Rodríguez and Jorge Polanco for two big outs. Josh Naylor’s deep fly ball to right-center, measuring 394 feet, was caught by Parker Meadows to end the inning.

Flaherty was reeling and the Mariners allowed him to escape the second. But he wouldn’t finish the third.

Hitless in the series, Eugenio Suárez clobbered a solo homer off Flaherty to lead off the inning. After walking Crawford, Flaherty came back to strike out Robles. With his starter already at 76 pitches, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch had seen enough. He went to his bullpen. Veteran right-hander Tommy Kahnle, the man of many change-ups, walked Crawford and struck out Arozarena. But Raleigh made it 4-0, sending a hard ground ball into center field to score Dominic Canzone.

Gilbert’s lone run allowed came in the fifth when Dingler led off with a single and later scored when Crawford couldn’t complete an inning-ending double play, bouncing a throw to Naylor.

Crawford made up for the mistake, swatting a solo homer in the next inning and adding a sac fly in the eighth.