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DETROIT -- James Paxton has picked up a new nickname -- Big Maple. The Seattle Mariners left-hander could have earned another one on Wednesday night -- The Big Stopper. The 6-foot-4 Canadian cooled down the Detroit Tigers' offense with seven shutout innings and the Mariners rolled to an 8-0 victory at Comerica Park.
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Bench coach Tim Bogar hung the new nickname on Paxton.
"Really an oustanding job. Big Maple was his nickname tonight," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "I kind of like the tone of that one. Awesome outing by Paxton and a lot of big hits."
Paxton (3-0), who hasn't given up a run in four of his five starts, allowed four hits and struck out nine. Detroit had scored a combined 32 runs in its previous two games, including a 19-9 victory over the Mariners on Tuesday.
"The guy was nasty," Detroit designated hitter Victor Martinez said. "(Reaching) 98, 97, locating inside and outside. He was on."
The only blip on the radar screen for Paxton was his previous outing, when he allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings to Oakland. He corrected a flaw after reviewing that performance.
"I was watching some video and I was getting on the side of the ball last game," he said. "I wasn't really able to drive the ball in there. So I got back on top of it and was able to throw strikes and get the breaking ball over a little bit more."
Leadoff hitter Jean Segura led Seattle's offense with three hits, two runs scored and two RBIs. He also had three hits Tuesday after coming off the 10-day disabled list.
"Huge, huge difference. Literally, every time he walks up there, I think he's going to get a hit," Servais said. "He believes it. He's got the right mentality for it. There's so many different pitches he can hit. It's just nice to have him back."
Guillermo Heredia and Nelson Cruz each supplied two-run homers for the Mariners (9-13). Cruz has 25 career homers against the Tigers, including postseason play.
Losing pitcher Daniel Norris (1-2) allowed four runs and nine hits in four-plus innings. The Tigers (11-9) saw their three-game winning streak snapped.
"Lot of things going on. I've got to be better," said Norris, who threw 103 pitches. "I've got to figure it out. I've got to be able to put them away, especially being ahead (in the count) 1-2. That's where I want to be, so I've got to find a way to get them out."
Norris escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first but wasn't as fortunate in the second. Segura knocked in Seattle's first run with a two-out single and Heredia followed with his second homer of the season for a 3-0 lead.
The Tigers could have gotten one back in the inning if anyone but painfully slow Martinez was on first when John Hicks doubled into the gap. Martinez could only make it to third and Paxton retired the next two batters.
Ben Gamel drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth, nudging Seattle's lead to 4-0.
Cruz homered off Anibal Sanchez in the sixth.
NOTES: Seattle placed ace RHP Felix Hernandez and RF Mitch Haniger on the 10-day disabled list. Hernandez (2-2) experienced shoulder inflammation while lasting only two innings in his start Tuesday. "Everybody knows what Felix means, being able to run him out there every fifth day and taking innings and getting us deep in games and giving us a chance to win," manager Scott Servais said. Haniger, who is batting .338 with four homers and 16 RBIs, suffered an oblique strain the same night. ... RHPs Chris Heston and Evan Marshall were optioned to Triple-A. ... The Mariners recalled four players from Tacoma -- RF Ben Gamel, RHP Chase De Jong, LHP Dillon Overton and RHP Casey Fein. De Jong will start against Cleveland on Saturday in place of Hernandez. ... Seattle 3B Kyle Seager did not start for the fourth consecutive game because of a sore hip, but Servais is hopeful Seager will return to the lineup Thursday. ... Detroit SS Jose Iglesias is expected to be activated from the seven-day DL on Thursday. He was sidelined with concussion symptoms. ... The Tigers' 19 runs Tuesday were their most since they scored the same amount on July 21, 2008, at Kansas City.
