SEATTLE (Interstat) — In a tense, extra-inning affair that defied pregame projections, the Detroit Tigers edged the Seattle Mariners 3-2 in 11 innings on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in their American League playoff series.

A crowd of 47,290 at a raucous T-Mobile Park watched as the Tigers, heavy underdogs according to Interstat’s game simulator and ELO projections, scratched out the winning run in the top of the 11th against reliever Carlos Vargas. Spencer Torkelson drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and, after two strikeouts, scored when Zach McKinstry singled sharply up the middle.

Detroit’s bullpen sealed the victory, with Will Vest earning the win after two perfect innings of relief and Keider Montero working around a two-out single in the bottom of the 11th to record his first save of the season. Vargas was tagged with the loss.

The game was a classic pitcher’s duel for much of the night, a stark contrast to the high-scoring outcomes predicted by oddsmakers who had installed Seattle as a -1.5 favorite with an over/under of 7 runs.

Seattle struck first in the fourth inning when superstar Julio Rodríguez launched a solo home run off Tigers starter Troy Melton, silencing the traveling Detroit contingent. Melton was otherwise sharp in his four innings of work, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out four.

Detroit answered immediately in the top of the fifth against Seattle ace George Kirby. After Parker Meadows singled, Kerry Carpenter connected on a two-run homer to right-center field, flipping the score and energizing the Tigers’ dugout. Kirby finished with a solid line, yielding two runs on six hits over five innings while striking out eight, but was outdueled by the collective effort of the Detroit staff.

The Mariners responded in the sixth to tie the game. A walk to Randy Arozarena and a single by Cal Raleigh set the table for Rodríguez, who delivered an RBI single to right field, plating Arozarena. The inning could have been bigger, but the Tigers turned a crucial double play to escape further damage.

From there, the bullpens took over. Seattle’s Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash and Gabe Speier combined for four hitless innings, striking out six. Detroit’s relief corps, featuring Tyler Holton and the winning pitcher Vest, matched them zero for zero, setting the stage for the extra-inning drama.

The victory improves Detroit’s record to 90-76, while Seattle falls to 90-73. The Tigers have now won four of their last five games. The Mariners, who swept a three-game series in Detroit in July, saw their five-game winning streak snapped.

The series resumes Sunday at T-Mobile Park.