Báez's 2-run blast shocks Mu?oz, sinks Mariners

DETROIT -- Andrés Mu?oz hadn’t allowed a hit since July 4, or a run since June 26. The Mariners closer hadn’t allowed a home run since Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson got him on May 18, and hadn’t allowed one on a slider since Cleveland’s Josh Naylor connected on April 1.

The Tigers, meanwhile, hadn’t swept a three-game series at Comerica Park since last September, when Miguel Cabrera was saying his goodbyes as a player.

But don’t tell the Tigers their chances, or their history -- especially Javier Báez.

“It's hard to not sit on a sinker that's coming at 99-100 [miles per hour],” Báez said after his two-run home run in the eighth inning provided all the offense Detroit needed in a 2-1 win. “I was just trying to trust my plan and wait for my pitch, and I got it.”

In some ways, the trusting of plans could describe the Tigers in general right now. President of baseball operations Scott Harris said entering the season that Detroit could be a better team later in the year as young players learn and develop with opportunities. This way wasn’t as intended, with a two-man rotation, three bulk relievers and a lineup featuring several players with extended time at Triple-A Toledo this season. With Matt Vierling, Jake Rogers and Gio Urshela off and Riley Greene beginning a Minor League rehab assignment, Thursday’s lineup featured Justyn-Henry Malloy leading off and Dillon Dingler batting cleanup.

The way Bryce Miller was dealing, the Tigers were held to three hits. But like Wednesday, Detroit stayed in it with a stingy bullpen start. Kenta Maeda, Alex Faedo, Shelby Miller and Jason Foley combined to hold Seattle to one hit -- a Victor Robles fifth-inning double off Maeda -- and eight strikeouts. Seattle’s lone run came from four Alex Faedo walks in his first and only inning.

The four combined hits tied the fewest in a nine-inning game in Comerica Park history with Aug. 21, 2007, when solo homers from Magglio Ordó?ez and Carlos Guillén powered Jair Jurrjens to his first MLB win.

After scoring 15 runs in Tuesday’s series opener, including 11 off George Kirby, the Tigers plated five runs over the next two games, none in 14 innings against starters Miller and Bryan Woo. Their back-to-back homer-fueled rallies of Seattle’s bullpen proved opportunistic against a team still in the AL West race.

“This is the personality of this team,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “We’ve got a lot to do to be better. We’ve got a lot of room to grow. We’re going to get younger. We’re also going to get better. And we continue to fight because we know that we can play complete games.

“We’re not always going to be perfect, and it’s not always graceful, but these guys care. We’re not just playing out the season because the schedule says it, and I appreciate that as a manager.”

Baez isn’t young at age 31, but he fits the work part. He has had impact stretches, including three consecutive games with a homer last month, and bouts of futility. But when he got his chance against Mu?oz, he didn’t miss.

The Mariners handed their 1-0 lead to Yimi García, who allowed Wednesday’s game-tying two-run homer to Kerry Carpenter in the eighth. He didn’t have to face Carpenter this time, but a leadoff walk to Parker Meadows set Detroit’s offense in motion. Meadows swiped second, his second stolen base of the game, and took third on Akil Baddoo’s grounder back to the mound.

With Báez up, Mariners manager Scott Servais tasked Mu?oz with inducing Báez to chase a slider. Mu?oz threw three in a row out of the zone. Báez swung at only one.

“As soon as I saw the first pitch, I just tried to slow everything down and see it close to me,” Báez said. “I kind of chased the second slider, but I saw it closer and it was outside. I was just trying to slow my timing down and see it closer until he finally threw it [over the plate].”

With a 2-1 count, the Mariners had a choice.

“I can just go and throw a fastball, just so he can see it,” Mu?oz said. “And if I walk him, I walk him. But probably the best decision over there was to throw a fastball.”

Instead, Mu?oz stuck with the plan and tried to throw another chase slider. But like García a day earlier, Mu?oz hung a pitch. Like Carpenter, Báez pounced, sending it 409 feet to left.

“We've got to stay together,” Báez said. “I think if we stay healthy, and we keep playing as a team, we can be really good.”