SEATTLE — Detroit Tigers third baseman Zach McKinstry looked out the window while riding the bus to T-Mobile Park on Friday, Oct. 10, before Game 5 of the ALDS against the Seattle Mariners.
He felt captivated by the view of Elliott Bay.
It’s the body of water that Seattle was founded on.
“I was looking out the window, enjoying the view of Seattle and the water and the two stadiums right next to each other,” McKinstry said before Friday’s game. “It’s a beautiful sign. I was taking it all in. I was just enjoying God’s creation.”
In that moment, McKinstry saw a few seagulls fly over the bus.
It reminded him to play with freedom in Game 5 of the ALDS, a winner-take-all showdown between the Tigers and Mariners. The winner advances to the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“I see a few seagulls fly over the bus,” McKinstry said. “They’re meant to fly, right? I’m a baseball player. I was meant to go out there and play baseball, so just go out there and do what you’re made to do and enjoy it.”
For McKinstry, the seagull analogy is drawn from Bible.
“God feeds the birds,” McKinstry said, referencing Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 6:26. “He’s going to provide for us.”
In McKinstry’s tenure, the Tigers have a 1-1 record in winner-take-all games, losing Game 5 of the 2024 ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians and winning Game 3 of the 2025 AL wild-card series against the Guardians.
He has competed in all seven postseason games in 2025, serving as the hero in Game 1 of the AL wild card (with a go-ahead sacrifice bunt in the seventh inning) and Game 1 of the ALDS (with a go-ahead single in the 10th inning).
“It’s been a lot of fun,” McKinstry said.
McKinstry isn’t nervous for Game 5 of the ALDS against the Mariners.
He is playing third base and batting sixth in the Tigers’ lineup.
“It feels normal,” said McKinstry, hitting .174 with four walks, nine strikeouts and a .470 OPS in the postseason. “It’s like a normal playoff game. We get here early — get your body ready to go and just make sure your feet are loose, just trying to feel 100%.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: ‘Seagulls’ remind Detroit Tigers’ Zach McKinstry to play free in Game 5 of ALDS
Reporting by Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
