Tigers rally past Mariners
DETROIT -- Mike Aviles' nubbed single 40 feet down the first base line with one out and the bases loaded in the eighth inning scored pinch-runner Andrew Romine with the tie-breaking run to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
Victor Martinez singled to left with one out off lefty James Paxton to begin the rally with the score standing 2-2. Manager Brad Ausmus declined to run for Martinez so he had to stop at third when Nick Castellanos rifled a double to the wall in right center.
Romine was then sent in to run for Martinez at third and Justin Upton was walked intentionally to load the bases. Aviles, down 1-2 in the count, topped a slow roller nearly halfway down the line just on the infield grass and Romine scampered home as Paxton fielded the ball, unable to make a play at any base.
James McCann followed with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 4-2.
Bruce Rondon (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win in just his second appearance since being recalled from the minors. Francisco Rodriguez gave up a pair of two-out singles before finishing his 20th save of the season.
Jose Iglesias singled with two out off Paxton (1-3) in the seventh, moved to second on a wild pitch and tied the score, 2-2, on a line RBI single to right by Ian Kinsler. Paxton gave up 11 hits and four runs with five strikeouts and three walks (one intentional) in 7 2/3 innings.
Castellanos grounded an RBI single to left with two out to cut the Tigers' deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Kyle Seager started a 5-4-3 double play with runners on first and second, the third double play the Mariners turned in the game, to limit the damage.
Seager almost had his 15th home run on a 3-0 pitch, pulling a pitch just outside the foul pole in right. But he didn't miss a full-count fastball, lining it well into the seats in right to break a scoreless tie with two out in the sixth. Robinson Cano had singled in between outfield fly-outs.
Justin Verlander went the first seven innings for Detroit, striking out five and allowing six hits. Verlander stranded a Mariners runner at third with one out in the third, getting two straight strikeouts after a double plus a sacrifice. He also got three outs in a row following Cano's leadoff double in the fourth.
Detroit got runners on first and second with one out twice against Paxton, in the second and third innings, but each time the Seattle southpaw got double plays to eliminate the threat.
NOTES: Veteran scout Bob Harrison, instrumental in Seattle drafting Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., died Monday. He was 95. Harrison lobbied hard for the Mariners taking Griffey Jr. as the first player in the 1987 draft and then keeping him out of spring training in 1989. ... INF Casey McGeHee cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Detroit's Triple-A farm club. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's up here again, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. ... Mariners' 2B Robinson Cano is second at his position in voting for next month's All-Star game. Houston's Jose Altuve leads with 1.606 million votes with Cano at 1.004 million. Nelson Cruz is fifth in the designated hitter voting, close behind Tigers' DH Victor Martinez. 1B Miguel Cabrera of Detroit is second at his position in the voting.