SEATTLE — Kyle Seager had two key hits that tied the score, Mike Zunino lofted a game-winning sacrifice fly and the Seattle Mariners rallied twice to beat the Detroit Tigers 6-5 in 15 innings Tuesday night for their season-high fifth straight victory.
The game ended just after midnight.
Victor Martinez gave Detroit a 5-4 lead when he opened the 15th with his 20th home run. But the Mariners came back against closer Francisco Rodriguez and took advantage of a pivotal error by Tigers left fielder Justin Upton.
Rodriguez (1-3) issued a one-out walk to Nelson Cruz before Adam Lind singled. Seager, who tied it 4-all with a three-run homer in the eighth, followed with an RBI single to left. Upton booted the ball, allowing Lind to reach third base as Seager advanced to second.
Zunino hit a fly ball to medium center field, and Lind slid home easily ahead of a wayward throw from Tyler Collins.
Ariel Miranda (1-0), scheduled to start Thursday for the Mariners, entered in relief and gave up Martinez’s homer but wound up with his first major league win.
Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez homered off Mariners starter Wade LeBlanc, who allowed 10 hits and three walks in five innings. He left trailing 4-1.
Seattle tied it on Seager’s shot off Justin Wilson. Franklin Gutierrez singled to open the inning and Lind hit a ground-rule double with two outs. Seager drove the next pitch deep over the wall in right-center for his 21st home run.
Detroit jumped on LeBlanc for two runs on four consecutive hits to open the first. Ian Kinsler doubled on the first pitch and moved to third on Jose Iglesias’ single. Cabrera and Victor Martinez followed with RBI singles.
Cabrera led off the third inning with his 26th homer, making it 3-0.
Seattle cut it to 3-1 in the fourth when Robinson Cano hit a leadoff double and Cruz followed with a triple off the right-field wall.
J.D. Martinez answered for Detroit, opening the fifth with his 14th homer.
The Mariners loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth against starter Daniel Norris on consecutive singles by Gutierrez, Cano and Cruz. Right-hander Alex Wilson came on and retired three consecutive left-handed hitters without permitting a run.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: CF Cameron Maybin, who has missed five games since injuring his left thumb last week diving for a ball against the White Sox, is expected to go on the disabled list Wednesday. “I guess they call it a Grade 2 sprain, a little bit more significant than originally thought,” manager Brad Ausmus said.
Mariners: LHP James Paxton, hit on the left elbow by a line drive Sunday, is expected to play light catch Wednesday. “The swelling has continued to go down,” said manager Scott Servais, adding there is no definite date for Paxton’s return to the rotation.
ROSTER MOVES
Mariners SS Ketel Marte (mononucleosis) was activated off the 15-day DL and batted ninth. “We’re going to try not to run him out there eight, nine, 10 consecutive days,” Servais said. “He’s going to play a couple, get a day off and keep him fresh and sharp here as we go down the stretch.” INF Mike Freeman was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma. … Detroit claimed RHP Donn Roach off waivers from Seattle and optioned him to Triple-A Toledo. RHP Jeff Ferrell was designated for assignment. Roach was 2-0 with an 8.44 ERA in four games with the Mariners.
UP NEXT
Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander (12-6, 3.52 ERA) starts the finale of the three-game series. Verlander, the AL pitcher of the month in July, is 8-1 in 12 starts since May 30. He is 5-5 in 10 starts at Safeco Field.
Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez (6-4, 3.55) wraps up the 10-game homestand. Hernandez is 2-0 in four starts since coming off the DL (right calf strain). He is 9-3 with a 2.57 ERA in 14 career starts against Detroit.
