FOX Broadcast Booth Relives 15-Inning ALDS Instant Classic: ‘I Wanted It to Keep Going’

What’s it like to call the longest winner-take-all game in MLB postseason history? 

It's a booth where nobody moves for 15 innings, nobody even dares go to the bathroom. And you never quite know when someone is going to scream "BUNT!"

I caught up with FOX Sports broadcasters Adam Amin, A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Wainwright on Saturday morning after the Mariners’ 3-2 win against the Tigers in the deciding Game 5 of the American League Division Series, a 15-inning marathon that led to a missed flight, a chance encounter with a Mariners legend and some special messages for the crew. 

Here’s what they had to say.

(Questions and answers may be edited for brevity and clarity.) 

Have you guys had a second to breathe or at least and think, ‘I just got to call one of the more memorable games in recent MLB history?’

Amin: I felt it I think right away. Right away, when it finished, I think we felt the same shoulder release, the tension release, that I think everybody probably felt even if you were a Tigers fan, I imagine. There was some kind of relief, like, at least it’s over.

I feel like we kind of talked about it in the final sequence before we went off the air, all three of us even in the middle of it knew this was something really, really special. Certainly at the end, both A.J. and Waino [Wainwright] talked about it too, what a game. I think I followed it up with something along the lines of, ‘This is one of the great playoff games we may ever see.’ Waino said, ‘It was sad somebody had to lose.’  Because it was one of those games where you had appreciation for what both teams did.

I know Waino has a lot of respect for what the pitchers did in this game. In the moments kind of when we were getting toward extra innings, getting into extra innings and once the point came when the game was over, I think we all had this sense that we saw something that was fairly rare and pretty special.

How does calling something like that compare to being involved in a game like that? 

Wainwright: It’s a lot more nerve-racking when you’re not doing it, for sure. To Adam’s point, when it ended, we all stood up, and I was standing there, and I was just kind of rendered speechless for a while. I was kind of sad that it was over. We were all trying to make flights and stuff, but I was like, I don’t even care about that anymore. I kind of wanted it to just keep going because so many players kept stepping up in the biggest of ways, the biggest of moments.

I’d been there before. I just know how hard you work to get to that moment, to get to that point in time where one swing can mean your season isn’t over and one bad swing or one bad pitch means your season is over. I was sympathizing with people on both sides, the greatness of winning on one but also the heartache of defeat. Those guys have been together for like 200 days now, and it’s a lot to lose in one split-second like that.

After the game, do you eat right away? Are you changing flights? How do you wind down after something like that? 

Amin: I don’t know if there was any winding down. I had to catch a red-eye flight to Charlotte for an NFL game, and I just found it very difficult to sleep. Last night was one of those nights where it was on the network, all the eyes of the baseball world are on it, because it’s the only game on, and I’m getting texts and emails from people I haven’t heard from in a while. I’m getting texts from friends, people in baseball, people out of baseball, who happen to be watching — fans and non-fans alike — and I think that also it’s one of those moments, one of those games, that maybe transcends typical sports fandom.

I imagine a lot of people, whether they’re on the East Coast or on the West Coast, are sitting at home on a Friday night, or they get back from dinner or get back from going out or put the kids to bed, whatever it may be, and they’re channel surfing or flipping around and looking for something to watch and, ‘Oh, here’s a sporting event. Whoa, that says 12 in the graphic? They’re in the 12th inning? All right, I’ll watch this right now.’ 

I think last night because of the wild nature of it, the rare nature of the game, I think the exciting nature of the game, I think a lot of those things drew the more casual fan or just somebody who happened to be watching. 

I had a lot of people in my life who maybe aren’t even the biggest sports fans sending me a text saying, ‘This is crazy, we’re watching this here, we saw this at the bar,’ whatever it may be. So I’ve been lucky enough to see a handful of those in my life, in my career, games that kind of transcend the typical sporting event. So, I was answering texts for what felt like an hour or almost two hours. I found it pretty hard to get to sleep on the plane. I don’t know about the other guys.

Wainwright: I missed my flight. I was on a 6 a.m. flight this morning, and I just landed in Atlanta a couple minutes ago. Long day, but it was worth it to be able to spend time with Adam and A.J. calling that game. That’s the longest postseason winner-take-all ever. You just don’t see that stuff very often.

Looking back on it, what was really special was getting texts from people who actually know baseball — players and former players and broadcasters — saying, ‘You guys are killing it, man. This sounds great. Can’t believe this game.’ I’ve heard from so many pitchers and players that I played with along the years that really know the game, that had appreciation for the game itself and the commentary going on, and that’s great encouragement. Adam got a pretty special text before the game. Those texts along the way that let you know you’re not completely blowing it, those help. Those are good motivators.

Pierzynski: I didn’t have any problem sleeping. But then again, I can sleep anywhere at any time, so that’s not a surprise. The crazy part to me was it was just, first of all, an incredible game, and I was fortunate to work with the two guys, obviously, and the crew we have behind the scenes that nobody talks about and the shots they put together, and the way they followed what Adam was saying and what Waino was saying and what I was saying was great. 

My favorite thing, I was on a flight back to Orlando. We all raced out of there — which sucked because we didn't get to really enjoy what we had just seen, and we didn't get to really talk about it — but I get to the airport, and I walk to my gate, and Ken Griffey Jr. was on my plane.

So, we were teammates, and we know each other, and I’m talking to him, standing with him at the gate, and there’s all these people in Mariners gear, Mariners shirts, some people in Griffey jerseys, and I’m standing there talking to him and not one person knew who he was. I’m like, ‘What’d you think of that game?’ He’s like, ‘It was insane.’ 

He was giving his thoughts on the game, and I look over and said, ‘Does nobody know who you are right now?’ He started laughing, and he goes, ‘Well, I’m trying to hide.’ I’m like, 'I know, but there’s literally a guy five feet away from me right now with a Griffey jersey on. Should I go tell him to go get it signed?’ He’s like, ‘Man, I’ll kill you if you do that.’ It was just hilarious.

Then we get on the plane, and Griffey’s across the aisle from me on the plane, and the lady between us is in a Mariners shirt. And I don’t normally like to pry into what people are looking at, but you can see her Instagram, and it was only Mariners stuff she was looking at. I’m just thinking in my head, ‘Do you have any idea who’s sitting next to you on this plane right now?’ She had no clue. It was one of those nights, just almost unbelievable and didn’t seem like it was real, especially by the end. We just kept looking at each other, like, ‘What else can happen that we haven’t seen already?’ It was just one thing after the other.

Adam, were there any messages you got that really stood out? 

Amin: On the professional side, I got texts from — I got a phone call, as a matter of fact — from Mike Tirico before and after the game and Brian Anderson, who’s the great voice for TBS and the Brewers, Dan Shulman, obviously who’s calling Blue Jays games and getting ready for the ALCS, Sean McDonough, people I’ve looked up to over the years and formed relationships with. That’s meaningful. Like Waino said, he’s got former teammates, A.J. has former teammates and guys who’ve played the game, and I’ve got people who have broadcasted.

During the game, you get that text, and you see a name that pops up and go, ‘Hey, I wonder what they have to say.’ You try not to get too distracted because you’ve got so much going on in front of you, but it was cool to be able to look down and see people I’ve looked up to my entire career and people I’ve asked advice of and people I’ve probably crib-noted calls from when I was a young broadcaster, they’re watching, and they’re happy, and they’re proud. That’s the professional side, and a lot of those guys are friends.

But my girlfriend sent me a really encouraging text before the game. She’s been in journalism and understands the medium, so it’s meaningful that people care about you and your performance and you make it fun for them if they’re watching the game. I know Waino and A.J. feel the same from people in their circles, the same way I feel about people in mind."

As the game progresses in extras, are you loading up on coffee? Do you get a bathroom break? What’s going through your head? 

Wainwright: I had an 11-inning bladder, apparently. Before the 12th started, me and our stats guy got up and used the bathroom, got a snack. Our security agent brought us some popcorn and nuts and trail mix type stuff to keep us going. 

It’s a long game, but it went fast to me. I didn't feel like it felt like five hours because there was a lot of action, a lot of potential winning situations that didn't come to fruition, but the potential was always there. Those guys, I think they even commented, at least 12 or 15 times a pitch would go right down the middle and I’m thinking, ‘Oh, this is going to be the last one,’ and nervous for those guys, because I remember being in those situations. When you’re doing it, I don't know if you understand the magnitude of it. This is just what I do. This is my element. 

But when I’m watching it, man, I just think about those guys’ careers, and, ‘He needs to make this pitch for this reason,’ and, ‘He’ll think about this for the rest of his life.’ and I start thinking big picture stuff all the time. It kind of tires you out a little bit. So I slept well, too, like A.J.

Pierzynski: Yeah, I didn’t get up. I didn’t move. I kind of try not to get up the whole game, and I’ve been through I think 18 innings is my record in a regular season game. I don't think Adam moved either? Adam, did you go? 

Amin: No.

Pierzynski: I think you and I just sat there the whole time. Any time I felt a little tired, Adam screamed, so it woke me right back up.

Amin: There was something to yell about, something to get excited about usually. I don’t think I moved the entire game. I stood up maybe once or twice. I don’t even know if I took a drink of water the whole time. At one point, I was kinda nervous. Our stats guy was sitting next to me, and he goes, ‘Do you want some water?’ I was like, ‘No,’ because in my head I’m worried I’m going to have to go to the bathroom at the wrong time or something like that. I don't think I moved. I stayed locked in the whole time. 

Being able to do baseball games over the years with these guys and in the minors before that and radio before that, you always kind of want to be ahead of the moment. I think when you feel good, when you feel like you’re in control or you've got an idea where the game might go or you have something in your back pocket, you want to be ahead of it.

So, you’re trying to constantly think of, ‘All right, well, if this guy does it, what’s something that’s important to him? What’s important to Leo Rivas when he comes up in the seventh, a guy who’s never swung a bat in a playoff game before, and it’s his birthday?’ We keep that in mind. If they get out of this inning, ‘What happened in the prior inning?’ That 12th inning was the defensive inning where both teams came up with huge defensive plays. 

When we got to the 15th, you can try to come up with something different, but when the bases are loaded and you know one swing can end it, I think you just try to remember — and I think I wrote down right before Polanco came to the plate, just as a reminder — 24 years, ALCS, that’s it, those are the two most important things. If he ends it right here, those are the two most important things to knock out on a call. 

And we made sure, ‘Polanco hits it into right, first ALCS in 24 years,’ and then the three of us just kind of lay out and let the crowd and our great crew and the pictures and the sound tell the story after that. 

Pierzynski: A big thing was, I feel like Adam really does a good job of coaching us and telling us, you know, kind of conducting what to say and when to go. He does a great job of telling us to lay out. We know, pretty much, but we want the crowd to tell a lot of the story. 

So, when there’s big hits or big home runs, things like that, Adam will kind of just put his hands up. He’s like a conductor. We all know, like, ‘OK don’t speak, let Adam go, he’s got something.’ I think it was a great game also because there was so much strategy we had to talk about. There were no lulls. 

Every inning you're like, ‘OK if this pitcher does this … the manager’s going to counter with this move and this move,’ so that makes it easy for us analysts when you have a guy leading you the way Adam does, and then also with all the strategy that can be discussed whether it’s pitching or hitting. It makes our job easy. The game makes your job easy as a commentator when it’s that good and has that many things going.

Were you surprised that Tarik Skubal was done after 99 pitches through six innings? 

Wainwright: I was surprised. A.J. even said, he wouldn't be surprised if he goes 120, 130. I think the recipe for their win last night was for Skubal to go seven and Vest to go two. I think that was probably the winning option. 

Now, hindsight is 20/20. He came out with the lead and you can certainly say he did his job, but I think looking back at it, they’ll regret not having him go one more. Because whoever’s coming in that game is not better than he is. Did you empty the tank if your last pitch is 101? I don't think so. I think he probably had more to give. But we’ve seen A.J. [Hinch] manage that way. He’s got kind of a script. He’s got a plan. And if it goes to plan, he thinks he’s got this kind of model that he’s going to follow. He’s proven it time and time again.

Pierzynski: I thought he should’ve went back out. But again, Hinch does say this, sometimes Skubal knows when he’s done. He said, when he emotionally adrenaline dumps like he did after he struck out Cal Raleigh, he said that was kind of his cue that he was done. And we saw that. 

Now, if you think about this, they were one out away — not going to say they were going to win the series — but they were one out away from getting Vest out there for two innings. And Vest, two innings, I mean he dominated. They were that one out away and the Leo Rivas hit changed the whole complexion of everything. If he gets out, he doesn't get that hit, it’s Vest for two and maybe the Tigers are advancing. 

So, it was a lot of strategy. Am I surprised he didn't go back out? Yeah. But Hinch knows his team, he knows Skubal better than we do, so he went with his head and kind of the plan and what he saw, and he thought Finnegan could get through that inning. If we’re going Xs and Os, we talked about it a little bit, the lefty didn’t come in to face Naylor that inning, he saved the lefty and let Naylor do what he did. It was a crazy sequence that you can look back on and say, ‘Well, what if this and if that and but this and but that,’ but at the end of the day, Leo Rivas got the hit to tie the game and Jorge Polanco got the hit to win the game.

Can you guys predict ahead of time now when A.J. thinks it’s time to bunt? 

Wainwright: [Laughs] I saw a funny thing this morning when I was on the plane, this guy posted and said, ‘A.J.’s going to wake up this morning, eat breakfast, and tell his wife to bunt,’ or something like that. 

No, look, he wasn’t wrong. Those situations, you just have to, no matter what, get that runner to third base when you’re in those situations where one run is the difference in your season. We saw time and time again from both sides, both teams failing to get that runner to third. So, bunting is the most sure way to do that, statistically, I would say.

Adam, I know you’re obviously calling other sports. Does the tension of extra-inning playoff baseball compare to anything else? 

Amin: No, to me, no. I think even football, a big football game, there’s always tension, but there’s this set kind of idea, it’s a first-down play, it’s a second-down play. I know the 2-minute drill can be a little wild sometimes, but you still feel like you’re in pretty good control of watching a 2-minute drive. Basketball, yeah, there’s tension in the final seconds, but you’re looking at a couple of different things. Football and basketball, you’re locked into a couple of things in those tight moments — time and score, what’s a 3 mean, what’s a 2 mean in this spot, how much time is left in the 2-minute drill for a quarterback to try to make sure he gets down into field-goal range or whatever it may be — and you can kind of pre-plan some of that stuff as long as you’re on top of it.

Extra-inning baseball, when one hit can change the game — and that’s the other thing I appreciate so much about AJ and Waino, and it’s been like that since we started doing this five years ago, this is our fifth playoffs together that we’ve done it as a group, and one of the things I appreciate so much about these guys is they respect the pitch. One pitch in a playoff game can mean everything. 

Look at that 18-inning game a few years ago that the Mariners and Astros played. One pitch, the Pena home run off Penn Murfee, was the difference in an epic marathon. There were a lot of pitches in this game that mattered, but any one of them could have mattered. These guys give respect to that, they give space to that, and it makes it easier for me to try to lock into certain things. They’re paying attention to certain things. But there’s nothing like the tension of that. 

Playoff baseball’s a different sport for a broadcaster, especially a play-by-play announcer. There’s more poetry. There’s more writing. There’s more dramatics involved. Being able to tell the Leo Rivas story about him toiling in the minor leagues for however long he did just to come up in the biggest moment of his career and take the biggest swing he’s ever taken, that’s a great story. To be able to put that into the moment and have that moment in front of us and be able to be a part of that narration for that, that means a lot. 

So, those high-tension moments, there’s nothing like them. But when you can deliver on them like these guys did, and like I feel like our crew did last night, there’s nothing like that feeling either as a broadcaster.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.