SEATTLE — Winner takes all.
The Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners will play for their seasons on Friday night in Game 5 of the American League Division Series at T-Mobile Park.
First pitch is at 8:08 p.m. Eastern time, televised nationally on FOX.
“I actually think it’s good to be nervous. It’s good to be excited,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “The 27 outs are going to be played. The game is going to come, and there’s going to be a lot of peaks and a few valleys for both teams and things like that that you know are going to happen.
“But everybody on both sides is going to leave it on the field. And whether you’ve played in these or not, every single player, coach, and manager knows what’s at stake.”
Here are five things to know about tonight’s game:
The crowd will be insane
No fan-shaming here. In Games 3 and 4, Tigers fans were saddled with weekday afternoon start times, bad weather, and about 14 innings with very little to cheer about — all coming on the heels of a listless finish to the regular season.
But the atmosphere, the noise, and the overall playoff feel in Seattle for Games 1 and 2 absolutely blew Comerica Park out of the water. There was no comparison.
Game 5, on a Friday night with everything on the line, should take that to another level.
George Kirby will be on the hill — but it’s all hands on deck
It’s been no secret for more than a week that, if the Tigers reached Game 5, Tarik Skubal would start.
The Mariners kept their plans closer to the vest, not announcing that right-hander George Kirby would get the ball until Thursday evening. Kirby started Game 1 and is well-rested. Luis Castillo, who started Game 2, is also fully rested.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see both pitchers on Friday.
“All hands are on deck tomorrow,” said Mariners manager Dan Wilson. “It’s a Game 5. Obviously, everything’s on the line.”
Said Hinch: “I’ve been in these games where (the starter) has lasted six, seven, eight innings, and I’ve been in games where that guy is pulled in the first. So there’s no assumption past the first guy that they list on what their plan is going to be.”
The Mariners and their suddenly shaky bullpen
Here’s one logical guess about Seattle’s pitching plan: Kirby starts and goes two to four innings. Lefty Gabe Speier follows to face the Tigers’ left-handed pocket. Then Castillo enters and pitches until the Mariners can hand it to the back end of the bullpen.
In a perfect world for Wilson, Castillo could even take it through the seventh inning before closer Andrés Muñoz goes for a two-inning save.
The problem? The Tigers rocked Speier in Game 4, then tacked on more runs against Eduard Bazardo and Carlos Vargas. That raised speculation that perhaps both teams are getting a little too familiar with each other after so many meetings.
It’s too late in the season for Wilson to lose faith in his bullpen — but will Game 4 make him a little more cautious?
The Tigers will also have all hands on deck. But let’s be realistic
Tarik Skubal is almost certainly going to throw around 100 pitches on Friday. Maybe that gets him into the sixth, seventh, or even eighth inning.
In theory, yes, the Tigers have all hands available — just about anyone except Casey Mize (who started Game 4) could pitch. In practice, this is Skubal’s show.
If Skubal can hand the ball straight to closer Will Vest, that would be the perfect scenario for Detroit.
What’s next
The Toronto Blue Jays are waiting and resting for the winner of Game 5.
The Blue Jays have already done plenty of that. After winning the AL East and securing the No. 1 overall seed, they earned a bye in the Wild Card Round and finished off the Yankees in four games in the ALDS on Wednesday.
The Tigers or Mariners will face them in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sunday at 8:03 p.m. Eastern time.
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