AROUND THE MAJORS: Paxton tosses complete game in win over Tigers

SEATTLE - In his first start back in Seattle since throwing the sixth no-hitter in Mariners franchise history, James Paxton tossed another gem.

The left-hander pitched a three-hitter in his second complete game in three starts, leading the Mariners to a 7-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night.

Paxton (3-1) struck out eight and walked one in his first start at Safeco Field since his no-no two weeks ago against Toronto - the only other game in which he has gone the distance in six major league seasons.

"We just jumped on his back tonight," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "It's been fun watching it kind of evolve here over the last four or five outings and him taking a next step, establishing himself as one of the best starters in this league. There's no question about it."

This was Paxton's fifth straight start with at least six innings pitched and three or fewer runs allowed. He retired the final 15 batters he faced.

"I find as I go on, I kind of find my rhythm more and more," Paxton said, "so I kind of get better and better as the game goes on."

Jean Segura hit his third home run of the season and drove in three, while Dee Gordon had two RBI to carry Seattle offensively. But Paxton handled most of the heavy lifting with just four Tigers reaching base all night. Victor Martinez hit a solo home run off Paxton in the second inning and Grayson Greiner plated John Hicks with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

"You want to give him every opportunity to get (to the finish line) and I decided to do that tonight," Servais said. "When I shook his hand after the game, he said, 'You let me go!' I said, 'You earned it."'

Paxton tossed 117 pitches with 83 strikes in baffling the Tigers.

"(Paxton) was attacking," Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He got a lead and a good pitcher like him knew exactly what to do with it. He was popping it in there pretty good. The ball was really jumping."

Segura's homer in the first off Detroit starter Mike Fiers (4-3) gave the Mariners a quick 1-0 lead. He also tripled in the second inning to drive in another run, and added a sacrifice fly in the sixth that capped a four-run inning that gave Seattle a 7-2 advantage.

Martinez's solo homer off Paxton in the second inning tied the game at 1. Ben Gamel led off Seattle's half of the second with a solo shot to right to give the Mariners the lead again.

Mike Zunino scored on Segura's triple to make it 3-1.

Greiner's sacrifice fly cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth before the Mariners seized control in the sixth.

A leadoff walk to Kyle Seager in the sixth ended Fiers' night. He allowed four runs and six hits over five innings with a walk and two strikeouts.

"I felt like the misses weren't good misses," Fiers said. "I was getting two strikes on them, but really couldn't put them away."

Dodgers down Nats behind pitcher, Kemp

WASHINGTON - Matt Kemp had a pinch-hit, two-run double in the ninth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers survived a sterling performance by Max Scherzer to beat the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Saturday night and sweep a day-night doubleheader.

Scherzer struck out 13 in seven innings, and Washington led 4-3 entering the ninth. But closer Sean Doolittle (1-2) allowed singles to Austin Barnes and Logan Forsythe, and Kemp then hit a line drive to the wall in left field to score them both.

Erik Goeddel (3-0) worked a scoreless eighth in his Dodgers debut after being acquired off waivers on Friday from Seattle Mariners. Kenley Jansen worked the ninth for his eighth save, and his second on the day.

The Dodgers used eight pitchers. Starter Rich Hill threw just two pitches before leaving with a recurrence of the blister on his left middle finger that has already put him on the disabled list twice this season.

BoSox double-up Birds

BOSTON - Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi hit consecutive home runs in the fifth inning, and the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles, 6-3.

Benintendi added a two-run single and Rafael Devers a solo homer for the Red Sox, who won for the third time in four games and improved to 5-1 against Baltimore this season.

Pedro Alvarez hit a two-run homer for Baltimore, which snapped a 13-game road losing streak a night earlier against Boston.

Rick Porcello (6-1) gave up three runs in six innings, matching his season high with nine strikeouts while walking three. Craig Kimbrel, the third reliever, got three outs for his 13th save.