Javier Báez hits 2-run HR in 8th, Tigers hold M’s to 1 hit and cap 3-game sweep with 2-1 victory

DETROIT (AP) — Javier Báez hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Detroit Tigers held the Seattle Mariners to one hit and rallied for a 2-1 win on Thursday to complete a three-game sweep.

The teams were playing for the sixth time in nine days. Detroit won two of three last week in Seattle.

“What an emotional turnaround at the end of a game that was tremendously pitched on both sides,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “This was a fun sweep.”

The Mariners got seven scoreless innings from their starter for the second game in a row and once again handed the lead to Yimi García. On Wednesday, he allowed Kerry Carpenter’s tying homer in what ended up a 3-2 loss in 10 innings.

This time, Parker Meadows walked and stole second, but García retired the next two hitters before giving way to closer Andrés Muñoz.

Muñoz (2-4), who hadn’t allowed a hit in a franchise-record 12 straight outings, hung a 2-1 slider and Báez lined it over the fence in left field.

“It is hard to sit on a slider as hard as that guy throws,” Báez said. “You just have to trust yourself to wait for your pitch and do something with it.”

Shelby Miller (6-7) earned the victory with 1 1/3 hitless innings of relief. Jason Foley pitched the ninth for his 16th save in Detroit’s fourth straight win.

Bryce Miller allowed two hits in seven innings for Seattle, striking out nine.

“This was like watching a rerun of a bad movie,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Obviously, we can’t ask Bryce to do anything more than what he did today. We’ve just got to find some offense.”

The Mariners scored four runs total in the three-game series.

“You aren’t going to win games in this league with one or two runs,” Servais said. “Our pitching has been awesome — it has been awesome all year — but you need to get some hits and drive in some guys.”

Seattle took a 1-0 lead in the first when Tigers opener Alex Faedo walked four of the first six batters, including Justin Turner with the bases full.

In the fifth, Victor Robles doubled with one out for Seattle’s only hit of the game and stole third. Kenta Maeda walked Jorge Polanco to put runners on the corners, but Randy Arozarena flew out to shallow center and Cal Raleigh lined out to first.

Maeda finished with 5 2/3 scoreless innings of bulk relief for a Tigers pitching staff with two healthy starters. He walked one batter and hit two.

“Alex struggled in the first with his command, but Kenta came right in and attacked,” Hinch said. “Outside of a couple first-pitch hit-by-pitches, he had a really good game.”

Maeda has a 3.28 ERA in six relief outings since losing his rotation spot at the All-Star break.

Mariners: Fly to Pittsburgh to start a three-game series with the Pirates. Right-hander Logan Gilbert (7-8, 2.91) will start on Friday against Pirates star rookie right-hander Paul Skenes (6-2, 2.25).

Tigers: Remain home for a three-game series with the New York Yankees. The first two games will be played at Comerica Park before the teams move to Williamsport, Pa., for the Little League Classic on Sunday night.

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