DETROIT (AP) — Mike Aviles drove in the tiebreaking run with an infield single in the eighth inning, and the Detroit Tigers went on to beat the Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Kyle Seager hit a two-run homer off Justin Verlander in the sixth to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead, but Detroit scored a run in the sixth and another in the seventh to tie it. With the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, Aviles tapped a dribbler up the first-base line, and the Seattle infielders had no play anywhere.
James McCann added a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2, and Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 22 chances.
Bruce Rondon (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win.
James Paxton (1-3) allowed four runs and 11 hits in 7 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five.
Paxton and Verlander matched scoreless innings until the sixth, when Seager connected for his 15th home run of the season. Nick Castellanos answered with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning, and the Tigers scratched out another run to tie the game in the seventh. With two outs, Jose Iglesias singled, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Ian Kinsler’s single.
The decisive rally in the eighth began with a one-out single by Victor Martinez. He went to third on a double by Castellanos, and after an intentional walk to Justin Upton, the slow roller by Aviles was enough to bring pinch-runner Andrew Romine home from third.
Verlander allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked one.
Seattle’s Ketel Marte, who had four hits in the series opener Monday, added three more Tuesday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: RHP Taijuan Walker had an MRI on his right foot that showed no structural damage. Walker’s foot bothered him during a five-inning, 88-pitch start Sunday.
UP NEXT
Mariners: Hisashi Iwakuma (6-5) starts against Detroit on Wednesday night, trying for his sixth win in seven starts.
Tigers: Rookie Michael Fulmer (7-2) takes the mound after his five-start winning streak was snapped in his last outing against Kansas City. Over his past six starts, Fulmer has allowed only two runs in 40 innings.
