Detroit’s season was on the line–trailing 2-1 in the ALDS and facing elimination at home, and the Tigers responded with a statement. In Game 4 at Comerica Park, Detroit unleashed its offense and turned a must-win into a rout, rolling to a 9-3 victory over Seattle to knot the series at 2-2.
The win didn’t come quietly. It was powered by long balls, bullpen dominance, and momentum swings that made the Mariners’ lead look shaky by midgame. Detroit’s fightback wasn’t just about staying alive; it was about making Seattle pay for underestimating them. With Game 5 looming in Seattle, the stakes are higher than ever.
“We believe,” Riley Greene said. “We’re never out of the game no matter what, and we always believe in ourselves.”
Homers, Hits & the Big Inning
What stood out in Game 4 was the sudden eruption of offense after early silence. The Tigers had been quiet through the first four innings, but that changed in the fifth. A three-run rally forced the game tied, and Detroit never looked back.
Greene delivered a pivotal moment: with the game tied in the bottom of the sixth, he crushed a 454-foot home run to put Detroit ahead for good. That blast wasn’t just powerful; it lit the spark for the Tigers’ late push.
“I didn’t really care how far the ball went,” Greene said. “It was a homer, and we put another run on the board, so that’s all that mattered.”
Javier Báez also stepped up. He drove in four runs and launched his first postseason homer since 2017, his bat swinging with urgency all night.
Detroit scored nine runs–their most in a postseason game since 1968, and sent the series back to Seattle for a winner-take-all Game 5.
Pitching, Bullpen & Momentum Shifts
Starter Casey Mize didn’t go deep, but he did enough to help keep Detroit in the game early on. The bullpen then took over, allowing just two runs over six innings–a stark contrast to Seattle’s relievers letting momentum slip.
“The best chance for us to not only keep this game close but win this game,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said, “was to continue to throw different pitchers at them. It’s been a successful strategy for us. Casey definitely could have gone out [for the fourth], but when the game dropped us off at [Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor] and we have our full allotment in the ‘pen … we were all hands on deck. And so the aggressive move to the ‘pen was to try to give them a lot of different looks.”
Seattle’s starter Bryce Miller had respectable moments but was pulled before the bullpen collapse. The relievers failed to hold, surrendering runs and homers at critical junctures.
One key turning point: a pinch-hit RBI and a series of small rallies–hits, walks, and pressure at the plate–forced Seattle into reactive mode. Detroit’s offense became contagious, and by the time Seattle fought back, the damage was too deep.
“If we all believe and we’re all on the same page,” Greene said, “then it’s pretty hard to stop us.”
What It Means & What Comes Next
With the series tied, all eyes shift to a decisive Game 5 in Seattle. Detroit’s ability to win an elimination game at home shows heart and gives them fight, but everything happens on the road now.
For the Mariners, home-field advantage offers a chance to regroup, but the Tigers’ momentum (and Tarik Skubal on the mound) makes this finale unpredictable. After roaring back in Game 4, Detroit now carries the swagger of a team that refuses to back down. One game decides everything.
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