The Seattle Mariners earned a bye to the ALDS round by virtue of finishing 90-72 this season, which was good enough for their first AL West title since 2001 and the second-best record among AL division winners. The Detroit Tigers had hopes of getting a bye for nearly the entire season, but blowing a 14-game lead in the AL Central meant they needed to hit the road in the Wild Card Series as a No. 6 seed. No matter — the Tigers took down the Guardians in three games to advance here.
The Tigers and Mariners have never squared off in the playoffs before, so it’s a fresh matchup. The Tigers haven’t won the World Series since 1984, while the Mariners are the only team in baseball to have never been to the World Series. Bet Tigers vs. Mariners at FanDuel Sportsbook, where new users get $300 in bonus bets with a winning $5 wager:
Mariners vs. Tigers schedule
|
Game 1 |
Sat., Oct. 4 |
8:38 pm ET |
FS1 |
fubo |
|
Game 2 |
Sun., Oct. 5 |
8:03 p.m. ET |
FS1 |
fubo |
| Game 3 | Tues., Oct. 7 | 4:08 p.m. ET | FS1 | fubo |
| Game 4 (if nec.) | Wed., Oct. 8 | 3:08 p.m. or 7:08 p.m. ET | FS1 | fubo |
| Game 5 (if nec.) | Fri., Oct. 10 | 4:40 p.m. or 8:08 p.m. ET | FS1 or Fox | fubo |
Mariners vs. Tigers: Game 1 info
- Time: 8:38 p.m. ET | Date: Saturday, Oct. 4
- Location: T-Mobile Park — Seattle
- TV channel: Fox | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
- Starting pitchers: Troy Melton (DET) vs. George Kirby (SEA)
- Odds: Tigers +180, Mariners -215 | O/U: 7
Game 1 storylines
Mariners: The Mariners are well-rested and went 51-30 at home this season. They won 17 of their last 18 games before clinching the division and then closing by getting swept by the Dodgers in a meaningless series. Their pitching is setup pretty well. The only real question will be if not having won a game since Sept. 25 matters. For those curious, the Mariners and every other team have a four-day layoff during the All-Star break and they won their first two games out of the break against good competition in the Astros.
Tigers: The Tigers limped to the finish, losing 13 of their last 16 games. They won Tarik Skubal’s start in the Wild Card Series, but only by the skin of their teeth after a dominant pitching performance, only to lose Game 2. Did they get back any of their mojo with that Game 3 victory that included a late offensive explosion? The team had been pretty punchless without Skubal before, so maybe they turned the corner.
Series odds, prediction
- Series odds (via FanDuel): Tigers +146 | Mariners -172
The Tigers went 28-41 after July 8 and scraping by against a lackluster division winner in the Guardians doesn’t really change my mind about them. The Mariners, meanwhile, are a formidable bunch with a chance to do something special. It starts here. Mariners in 4.
