DETROIT -- Andr¨¦s 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],¡± B¨¢ez 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 Ord¨®?ez and Carlos Guill¨¦n 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 Garc¨ªa, 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 B¨¢ez up, Mariners manager Scott Servais tasked Mu?oz with inducing B¨¢ez to chase a slider. Mu?oz threw three in a row out of the zone. B¨¢ez 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,¡± B¨¢ez 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 Garc¨ªa a day earlier, Mu?oz hung a pitch. Like Carpenter, B¨¢ez pounced, sending it 409 feet to left.

¡°We've got to stay together,¡± B¨¢ez said. ¡°I think if we stay healthy, and we keep playing as a team, we can be really good.¡±