SEATTLE — The Detroit Tigers, seeking a second-half surge, came out of the All-Star break swinging for the fences.
Five runs on three home runs, plus a gritty team effort in a wild final three innings, propelled the Tigers to a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners in Friday’s opener of the three-game series at T-Mobile Park.
“We had some really good at-bats, some good defensive plays and then held on at the end,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “Happy with the result. It’s good to get back up and running with a win.”
Nick Maton swatted a slider to widen the gap in his return from Triple-A Toledo, a stay that lasted 11 games. His two-run home run in the seventh inning, the Tigers’ third and final homer, put them up by three runs.
“I’m playing like I know I can,” Maton said. “I know it’s just one game, but I’m going to keep putting them together and keep on grinding.”
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The Tigers (40-50) needed them all, too, as they fended off a late rally by the Mariners. Detroit trails the Minnesota Twins by five games for first place in the American League Central.
Following left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez’s five innings, four relievers — right-hander José Cisnero, left-hander Tyler Holton, righty Jason Foley and righty Alex Lange — kept the Mariners from completing a comeback in the final four innings.
Foley came out of the bullpen with one out in the eighth inning. The Mariners, despite losing their challenge in the seventh inning, received a crew chief review on a play at the plate in the eighth.
Julio Rodríguez was initially ruled out at the plate after a superb relay from center fielder Matt Vierling to second baseman Maton to catcher Jake Rogers. The replay review overturned the tag play, deeming Rodríguez safe at the plate.
The overturned call trimmed Tigers’ lead to 5-3, but Foley responded with back-to-back strikeouts. He had words for home plate umpire Marvin Hudson after completing the eighth inning and was ejected.
“To be honest, I didn’t like it,” A.J. Hinch said of Foley’s ejection. “I didn’t think it was the right time. I didn’t think it was worth it. I think we had a bunch of baseball left, and you’re getting the umpire pissed off as we’re going to hit. We got the ninth inning we had to deal with. He got frustrated, and I’ll talk to him about it.”
In the ninth, Lange surrendered a one-out home run to pinch-hitter Mike Ford, making it a one-run game. Pinch-hitter Kolten Wong grounded out to first base, but Dylan Moore and J.P. Crawford worked back-to-back five-pitch walks. The walks put the game-tying run at second base.
Rodríguez, the 2022 American League Rookie of the Year, struck out looking to end the game. Lange, who picked up his 14th save, froze Rodríguez with a curveball inside the zone.
“He feels like every mistake that he makes over the plate is getting hit and every time he sprays the ball they’re drawing walks,” Hinch said. “He’s carrying some stress with him. I know he holds himself to a high standard, and I know he expects to be perfect. … There’s a lot of trust in him, and obviously, his emotions are being challenged right now because he wants to be the guy at the end.”
With the Tigers leading 3-2 in the seventh inning, Javier Báez reached safely on a missed catch error by the first baseman. He stole second, then came around to score on Maton’s clutch home run off right-handed reliever Ty Adcock.
Maton’s homer ended up being the difference-maker.
“I thought his at-bats were very competitive, not just the homer and the walk,” Hinch said. “We needed it because of the way the game was going, but I’m also happy for him to be able to come back up, contribute right away and feel good about himself.”
Adcock threw three consecutive sliders. Maton made him pay by hammering the third slider at the bottom of the strike zone in a 1-1 count for his second homer off a breaking ball this year.
“I was getting some heaters (in previous plate appearances),” Maton said. “I was getting back to my old approach of just seeing and hitting. I’m not just sitting on everything. I think that’s what was getting to me.”
The 26-year-old, acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in an offseason trade, has seven homers in 73 games this season, with the other five homers off fastballs. He also had two homers in 11 games with Triple-A Toledo.
Kerry Carpenter and Akil Baddoo, two other left-handed hitters, produced the first and second home runs, respectively. The three homers all had exit velocities over 100 mph and combined for 1,204 feet.
Crushing Castillo
The Tigers scored three runs — on two home runs — against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo.
Castillo, a three-time All-Star and one of the AL’s best pitchers, represented the Mariners at the 2023 All-Star Game on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. But Carpenter took him deep to right-center in the first inning.
“I felt free,” Carpenter said. “Thank God I felt freedom and peace today, and that helps me see the ball so much better. Get to two strikes, not afraid to strike out, just sticking to the plan. That’s what happened.”
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After Spencer Torkelson’s bloop single, Carpenter worked a full count against Castillo before receiving a down-and-in changeup with two outs. He turned on the changeup for a 406-foot home run.
The two-run shot put the Tigers in front, 2-0, from the onset of the series opener.
“Playing with the lead on the road is awesome,” Hinch said.
Carpenter has nine home runs in 48 games this season.
The Tigers struck again with two strikes and two outs in the fifth inning, when Baddoo launched another down-and-in changeup for a 402-foot solo home run to right-center, putting the Tigers ahead, 3-0.
Castillo allowed three runs on four hits without a walk. He struck out five batters, threw 60 of 91 pitches for strikes and generated 11 whiffs. His changeup and slider were responsible for nine of his 11 whiffs.
E-Rod’s performance
Rodriguez, in his second start since returning from the injured list, allowed two runs on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. He was sharp for most of his outing and threw 54 of 88 pitches for strikes.
Rodriguez retired the first 10 batters he faced before Julio Rodríguez hit a fastball back up the middle for a single. The swing produced a 109.8 mph exit velocity; the Tigers’ Rodriguez had to duck to avoid getting hit by the ball.
“There’s no chance you can get away,” Rodriguez said. “You just pray to God that the ball doesn’t hit you, and thank God it didn’t hit me. After that, keep throwing strikes and get out of the inning there.”
After J-Rod’s single, E-Rod struck out Ty France and Teoscar Hernandez to put the Mariners away in the fourth inning.
The Mariners struck for two runs in the fifth inning, only because Rodriguez walked himself into a bad situation. He started the inning by allowing a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a single to load the bases.
With one out, Moore ripped a double off the left-field wall.
The Mariners cut the deficit to 3-2.
Rodriguez walked Julio Rodríguez to load the bases again, but this time, he struck out France looking with an inside sinker. France, who spiked his bat in frustration, was ejected by Hudson, the home plate umpire, for arguing the called third strike.
“To get that strikeout was big because we were still winning the game,” Rodriguez said.
In the first and second innings, Rodriguez received assistance from his outfield defense on three plays. In the first, center fielder Vierling — who typically plays in right field — robbed Rodríguez of a solo home run.
Vierling leaped at the wall, extended his glove and kept the ball from traveling over the fence.
For his 88 pitches, Rodriguez used 37 four-seam fastballs (42%), 19 cutters (22%), 17 changeups (19%), 11 sinkers (13%) and four sliders (5%). He generated 11 whiffs and 14 called strikes.
His four-seamer produced five whiffs and seven called strikes.
“I think my command was a lot better today than it was in the last start against Oakland,” Rodriguez said. “I feel like I have my command back, so that’s what I’m taking out of my start today.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.