On February 3, the Seattle Mariners re-signed second baseman Jorge Polanco to a one-year deal, a win-now move to keep their competitive window wide open. His 2024 season in the Pacific Northwest left plenty to be desired, but his left knee plagued the 32-year-old second baseman for months, eventually electing knee surgery last October with hopes of a comeback.
Some 249 days later, a sellout crowd at T-Mobile Park stood anxiously, waiting more than patiently for Polanco to be their hero. The screams echoed underneath a closed retractable roof as their second baseman stood at the plate with the bases loaded, a chance to deliver one of the most historic swings in franchise history.
Friday night’s winner-take-all Game 5 of the American League Division Series (ALDS) was tied at two in the bottom of the 15th inning. J.P. Crawford stood at third base with one out, the winning run that could send a crowd of 47,025 into bedlam.
Polanco swung through strike one, a low changeup offered by Detroit’s Tommy Kahnle. He fought the count full, then struck magic — a hard-hit single to right field that shook the ballpark like an earthquake.
A back-and-forth, five-game series deserved this ending. In 15 innings: Mariners 3, Tigers 2.
The Mariners are ALCS bound for the first time since 2001: Seattle departs to Toronto for Game 1 of a best-of-seven series on Sunday at Rogers Centre. They’re four wins away from their first World Series appearance in franchise history.
This story will be updated.
