Robinson Cano’s walk-off RBI single lifts Mariners to 7-6 victory over Tigers in 11 innings

SEATTLE – After overcoming a three-run deficit and then blowing two leads, the Seattle Mariners had the last word Tuesday night in a 7-6 walk-off victory over the Detroit Tigers in 11 innings.

Robinson Cano’s line-drive single into the right-field corner ended it.

Brad Miller started the winning rally by serving a leadoff single into left in the 11th inning against Ian Kroll (1-2).

Austin Jackson fouled off two attempted sacrifice bunts before his grounder to third turned into a force at second. Franklin Gutierrez grounded a single through the left side that moved Jackson to second.

Cano then yanked a 2-1 slider into the right-field corner and stopped at first for a single as Jackson crossed the plate.

What a wild ride over the closing innings.

• Detroit missed a chance after Victor Martinez opened the 11th inning against Charlie Furbush (1-1) with a double into the left-center gap.

After Andrew Romine replaced Martinez as a pinch-runner, Furbush issued an intentional walk to J.D. Martinez.

Alex Avila fouled off two bunts before taking a third strike. Romine then stole third on Nick Castellanos’ swinging third strike before Furbursh stranded both runners by striking out pinch-hitter Rajai Davis.

• The Mariners put runners at first and second with one out on two walks in the 10th inning, but Logan Morrison popped out, and Mike Zunino grounded into a force at second.

• The Tigers left runners at first and third in their 10th after Anthony Gose hustled his way to a one-out double on a grounder up the middle after Carson Smith had struck out all four previous batters faced.

Smith struck out Jose Iglesias and should have been out of the inning when Ian Kinsler hit a grounder to short – but Brad Miller, just into the game, booted the ball for an error. Gose stopped at third.

Smith still escaped by retiring Yoenis Cespedes on a pop.

• The Mariners had a chance to win it in the ninth after Seth Smith led off with a pinch-hit single against reliever Bruce Rondon.

A sacrifice by Austin Jackson, who earlier hit a grand slam, moved Miller, who pinch-ran for Smith, to second. But Rondon struck out Franklin Gutierrez before Cano sent a soft fly to left.

• Fernando Rodney inherited a one-run lead to start the eighth and got two quick outs and jumped ahead 0-2 on Cespedes…before Cespedes drove a 98-mph fastball over the center-field wall.

It was the Tigers’ fourth homer of the game. They also hit four Monday in a 12-5 victory.

Mariners starter Taijuan Walker, who had a 1.68 ERA in his seven previous starts, wobbled through six shaky innings before handing a 6-5 lead to reliever Mark Lowe.

Walker gave up six hits but three were homers.

Mark Lowe struck out the side in the seventh before Rodney gave up Cespedes’ homer in the eighth.

Walker’s walk-less streak ended at 28 1/3 innings, spanning 111 batters, when he lost Alex Avila with one out in the second inning after being ahead 0-2 in the count.

It turned costly in a hurry when Nick Castellanos followed with a two-run homer to center. And then Marc Krauss, in his first at-bat for the Tigers, drove a homer to right. That quickly, Detroit led 3-0.

The Mariners stormed back in the third after loading the bases with no outs off Tigers starter Kyle Ryan.

Jackson then turned on an 0-2 cutter and sent it over the left-field wall for his first career grand slam. Gutierrez followed with a 409-foot drive to right-center for his first homer since Sept. 27, 2013.

The Mariners led 5-3. Ryan exited before the inning ended.

On Monday, the Mariners erased an early 3-0 deficit by grabbing a 5-3 lead before Detroit scored nine runs over the next two innings.

This lead didn’t last either.

After Martinez lined a leadoff double over Gutierrez’s head in left. Avila followed with a game-tying homer to left.