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Mariners ride big seventh inning to 5-4 win over Tigers

It's the Mariners' 11th comeback win of the season.
Credit: Joe Nicholson
May 18, 2018; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Mitch Haniger (17) hits an RBI-double against the Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

SEATTLE (AP) - Mitch Haniger's RBI double capped a five-run seventh inning as Seattle rallied for a 5-4 victory Friday night over the Detroit Tigers.

Trailing 4-0 entering the seventh, the Mariners coaxed four walks in their first six at-bats of the inning.

Dee Gordon's sacrifice fly to right field cut Detroit's lead to 4-3 with two outs. Jean Segura followed with a run-scoring single on a grounder up the middle off reliever Warwick Saupold, scoring Mike Zunino to tie the game at 4-all.

Haniger gave the Mariners the lead by lining Saupold's curve ball down the left field line, scoring Guillermo Heredia.

Dan Altavilla (3-2) picked up the win in relief ad closer Edwin Diaz notched his AL-leading 15th save.

Buck Farmer (0-2) took the loss, walking the two batters he faced.

It was the fifth time Seattle had scored a season-high five runs in an inning. The last time came April 28 in a 12-4 victory.

Before the inning, Michael Fulmer was rolling along, tossing six shutout innings, allowing just two singles to Segura in the first inning, and Gamel in the fifth.

Gamel's single to center snapped Fulmer's string of retiring 13 Seattle hitters in a row.

Detroit tallied three runs in the first inning, all with two outs. John Hicks started it with a two-run double in the left-center gap, and Nico Goodrum followed with an RBI double to the center-field wall.

The Tigers added an unearned run in the fifth on Victor Martinez's run-scoring double over Gamel's head in left field to make it 4-0.

MARTIN RETURNS

A depleted Tigers lineup got a boost Friday when outfielder Leonys Martin (left hamstring) was activated from the 10-day disabled list, and immediately inserted as the starting leadoff hitter.

To make room, left-handed pitcher Ryan Carpenter was sent to Triple-A Toledo.

Martin ran the bases hours before the game before talking to the Tigers' medical staff.

"He is fine," Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's been driving us crazy in here. He feels great. He wants to play."

Before he went on the DL on May 9, Martin had become a real spark at the top of the batting order, holding a .294 batting average (and .355 on-base percentage) with five home runs and 15 RBIs. scoring 23 runs.

Martin, 30, signed a one-year, $1.75 free-agent contract with the Tigers in early December.

ROSTER RESHUFFLE

Tigers: Outfielder Jacoby Jones was initially penciled in as the leadoff hitter Friday before the team decided to activate Martin three hours before first pitch.

Mariners: After playing the first 43 game in center field, Dee Gordon started his first game at second base Friday night. .. After pitching five of the past six games (4.1 innings), RHP Nick Vincent was unavailable Friday. . RHP Erik Goeddel, who was designated for assignment after picking up a win Tuesday, was claimed by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

HONORING A NO-HITTER

Just before first pitch Friday, the Mariners rolled out the red carpet to honor left-handed ace James Paxton's no-hitter May 8 at Toronto.

Paxton was given a framed version of the original lineup card from the game by Mariners CEO John Stanton, team president Kevin Mather and general manager Jerry Dipoto.

It was the 299th no-hitter pitched in big-league history.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mariners: After sitting out the past two games, designed hitter Nelson Cruz (bruised foot) returned to the lineup Friday, hitting cleanup. He went 0-for-3 with a run scored.

UP NEXT

Tigers: RHP Mike Fiers (4-2, 4.23 ERA) is the only Detroit pitcher to win back-to-back starts this season, winning at Texas (5.1 innings, two earned runs) on May 8, then against Cleveland (6.0 IP, earned run) on Monday. His only win against Seattle came at Safeco Field in 2016.

Mariners: Paxton (2-1, 3.52 ERA) faced the TIgers in his last start, collecting a no-decision in a 5-4 Mariners loss in Detroit on Sunday. In six career starts against the Tigers, he is 2-1 with a 3.41 ERA.

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