AL DIVISION SERIES: TIGERS VS MARINERS

October 10, 2025

Dan Wilson

T-Mobile Park

Seattle Mariners

Postgame 5 Press Conference

Mariners - 3, Tigers 2 (15)

Q. Dan, we talked so much about 1995, and you were obviously there. Where does this one stack up against that one?

DAN WILSON: I mean, just a lot of dramatics again, you know, and what just -- I don't even know where to begin to try to recap all the heroic efforts that went into today, just from one -- from one guy to the next.

And 15 innings? I've got to say, I don't know how the fans kept their energy going. It was unbelievably loud, even in the 15th inning. And this is a special place. T-Mobile Park is a special place, and they showed us that tonight. And just an incredible ballgame from top to bottom.

And this is up there. I mean, this is up there, no doubt, and it feels really good.

Q. Talk a little about Leo Rivas's at-bat and how that came up and just his execution in that moment.

DAN WILSON: You know, it's such a huge knock, and he's had some big knocks since he's been here and down the stretch a couple of big homers for us.

And, you know, he got a chance to get right-handed there, which -- he swings the bat very well from the right side, and I just thought he puts together such a good at-bat, and he waits for a pitch, and he got a pitch and put a really good swing on it.

And, you know, when you're not there regularly, that's a difficult task. But he was up to the task tonight. It was a huge hit.

And from there you can't say enough about the bullpen and two starters we had up there in the bullpen, just taking the ball and just running with it, and not wanting to come out of the game, wanting to keep throwing pitches, keep throwing innings.

This is -- you know, it makes me a little emotional because these guys are unbelievable, just how much they fought tonight. And, you know, we talked about it before the game, and we said that part of what makes them great is they don't want to leave the ballpark until they win.

And tonight was that. They didn't want to leave the ballpark until they won, and they made it happen.

Q. Dan, how much are you preplanning that with Rivas, knowing if A.J. brings in the lefty, and you obviously have Canzone there as well? What went into the thought process of that?

DAN WILSON: Yeah. That was a question of whether we let Canzone hit there left on left or take a shot with Leo.

And, again going back and forth, Manny -- I thought Manny -- he's always got good ideas, and that was a good one. And Leo came up big right there.

And again, you know, I think as we've said it before and we'll say it again and over and over, this was a group effort. And everybody on that staff is special. Everybody in that clubhouse is special, and we work together very well.

Q. Dan, just the amount of contributions you got from expected and unexpected guys, like you said, you had two starters work multiple innings. You know, to win a game like this with the back-and-forth when no team led by more than one run, you have to have everybody do something to help win?

DAN WILSON: Yeah, you know, it does. It takes everybody in a game like this. And we had a lot of opportunities in the extra innings and just weren't able to get over the hump.

But huge contributions, whether it was a hit by pitch, a walk, getting on base, doing something special to put the pressure on there. And Polo with a huge at-bat there to get the game winner.

Again, you can't say enough about the effort these guys put on the fight.

You know, we've talked about the fight all year long. To go 15 innings tonight, 15 rounds, so to speak, and to come out on top, that sure feels good.

Q. Dan, what did you see in Skubal tonight, and how difficult a decision was it with you for Kirby, who pitched so well?

DAN WILSON: Yeah. Skubal was as advertised. He did what he does. He had a really good fastball again tonight and mixing his changeup well, had us off stride, and we had to fight for everything.

Getting that one run, I thought that was a great at-bat by Garv. After Naylor makes an opportunity available to us and getting the sac fly was huge to get on top. And then, you know, George on our side -- you know, that was a pretty epic performance tonight. Pitching with a lot of emotion.

Again, the fans just -- this ballpark was just loud from the first pitch and all the way through the 15th inning and kept us going tonight, and I think our guys fed off that very well, and George was one of them. I thought he just had outstanding stuff.

And yeah, it's a tough decision, but when you have a bullpen like we do and it was ready, we were going to be aggressive again tonight, and we were able to be aggressive, and it worked out.