Sat Oct 11 03:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Mariners’ “Lights-Out” Bullpen Short-Circuits, Tigers Force Game 5

**DETROIT** – The Seattle Mariners’ hopes of advancing to the AL Championship Series took a major hit on Thursday as a dominant Detroit Tigers offense exploded for seven runs against previously reliable relievers Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo, resulting in a 9-3 Tigers victory in Game 4 of the ALDS. The series is now tied 2-2.

Entering the bottom of the fifth inning with a comfortable 3-0 lead, and with starter Bryce Miller cruising, the Mariners looked poised to eliminate the Tigers. However, Detroit rallied, sparked by a Dillon Dingler RBI double. Mariners manager Dan Wilson then turned to Speier, who had been perfect in the series thus far.

But the increased familiarity proved costly. The Tigers capitalized, with Jahmai Jones delivering a pinch-hit RBI double and Javy Baez driving in the tying run with a single, erasing the Mariners’ lead.

The real damage came in the sixth. After Speier returned for another inning, Riley Greene launched a go-ahead, 454-foot home run off Speier, giving the Tigers their first lead since Game 1. The Mariners then turned to Bazardo, who had been a stalwart in the previous games, but he was hammered for four hits, including a Baez home run, extending Detroit’s lead to 9-3.

“These guys have thrown the ball so well, and I don’t think that’s a risk,” Wilson said of his decision to stick with Speier and Bazardo despite their repeated appearances. “These guys have done the job and thrown the ball extremely well, and today they just – they were able to get to us.”

The series now heads back to Seattle for a decisive Game 5, where Mariners will face Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who is eager to avenge his Game 2 loss. The Mariners will need to regroup and hope their bullpen can rediscover its earlier form, while the Tigers will look to carry their momentum into the final game, leveraging the familiarity they’ve gained against Seattle’s pitching staff. The winner of Game 5 will advance to the AL Championship Series.

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