Arozarena and Rodriguez both had multi-hit days. Rodriguez finished 2-for-5 with a triple, two runs and an RBI. Arozarena went 2-for-4 with his homer, a run and an RBI.
Dingler had an RBI single in the top of the fourth that bolstered Detroit’s lead to 8-2. That was where the Tigers remained for a decent stretch.
Carlos Vargas, who had six innings of major league experience before Monday, entered the game in the top of the fourth. He let up the Dingler RBI single, but Collin Snider was dinged with the earned run.
Vargas pitched 3.2 innings, allowed one earned run on four hits and fanned two. His one run allowed was to designated hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy in the top of the ninth, which gave the Tigers their ninth and final run.
During Vargas’ outing, Seattle chipped away at Detroit’s lead. Luke Raley had a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth and Jorge Polanco had an RBI single in the fifth.
After Vargas’ day was done, Cal Raleigh hit a two-run shot to right field in the bottom of the ninth for the eventual final of 9-6. The Mariners finished the game 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position compared to a 6-for-14 mark for the Tigers.
“We kept pressure, we kept trying to get back in the game,” Seattle manager Dan Wilson said in a postgame interview. “And I thought our bullpen did a really nice job, especially with (Vargas) there giving us three-plus innings. Outstanding effort by him and all the guys today, bullpen-wise. … I think it was just a tough first inning for us but the guys really, really battled back and gave them all they could handle all the way to the end.”