3 clutch moments Tigers fans thought would save them before ALDS heartbreak

In a do-or-die ALDS Game 5 against the Seattle Mariners, the Detroit Tigers chose the latter. Fifteen historical, excruciating innings of baseball were played before Seattle infielder Jorge Polanco finally delivered the final death blow with a bases-loaded, walk-off single to send the Mariners to their first ALCS since 2001.

While it was certainly a disappointing end to Detroit's season, it wasn't all doom and gloom. The Tigers came into the game with a certain amount of cautious optimism. But it's the hope that kills you.

3 clutch moments Tigers fans thought would save them before ALDS heartbreak vs. Mariners

Tarik Skubal's historic six innings in Tigers ALDS loss

Having Tarik Skubal on the mound for Game 5 was always going to give the Tigers their best possible chance to move onto the ALCS, but nothing could've prepared anyone for exactly how good he was. He went six innings and only gave up one run.

Otherwise, 13 of Skubal's 18 outs came via the strikeout, the most of any starting pitcher in a win-or-go-home postseason game. His seven straight Ks from Victor Robles in the bottom of the second through Eugenio Suárez in the bottom of the fourth also set a postseason record.

The only problem was the pitch count; Skubal was up to 99 pitches at the end of the sixth, and he's only ever thrown up to 108. His last pitch to strike out Cal Raleigh (on three straight pitches), was a 100.9 mph fastball right down the middle. Electric!

Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter's go-ahead homer

The Tigers' offense had nothing to show for Skubal's outing through most of the game, but Javier Báez's leadoff double in the sixth — Detroit's first extra-base hit of the night — led to a breakthrough.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson removed starter George Kirby with Kerry Carpenter — 5-for-11 against him in his career with five homers going into Game 5 — coming up to the plate and put in lefty Gabe Speier. AJ Hinch had to decide whether to leave in Carpenter to face a lefty, who he's significantly worse against, or pinch-hit with Jahmai Jones.

Hinch stuck to his guns, and Carpenter made it count. He hammered a middle-middle fastball 411 feet at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

Will Vest's scoreless two innings out of the Tigers bullpen

Leo Rivas tied the game at 2-2 with a pinch-hit single in the seventh, and Will Vest became the third Tigers reliever to enter after Kyle Finnegan and Tyler Holton. He was tasked with the unenviable burden of facing the top of Seattle's lineup — Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh were both guaranteed at-bats.

Leadoff hitter JP Crawford to flied out, but Vest hit Arozarena with a pitch. It was the only mistake of the inning, but Vest got Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez, a thorn in the Tigers' side throughout the season, to strike out swinging.

It was more of the same in the bottom of the ninth; although Vest gave up a single to Josh Naylor, he wracked up two more strikeouts and ended the inning with a K on Rivas. Six more innings and the loss would follow Vest's heroic effort, but it shouldn't be overlooked.