Javy Báez's clutch sweep-clinching homer vs Mariners has Tigers fans buzzing

Seattle Mariners v Detroit Tigers
Seattle Mariners v Detroit Tigers / Duane Burleson/GettyImages

The Tigers have seen a lot of the Mariners over the past few weeks, with a three-game series at T-Mobile starting on Aug. 6 and then another three at home in Detroit. They took the first series with two wins and a loss that should've been a win, after Ryan Vilade botched a diving play in right field to let the Mariners walk it off.

However, the Tigers punched back as soon as the Mariners landed in Detroit. They took Game 1 in an embarrassing route for George Kirby and Seattle, putting up 15 runs through six innings and forcing the Mariners to go to a position player to close it out. Game 2 ended with an Akil Baddoo walk-off assisted by a two-run homer for Kerry Carpenter, his third in just two days.

Game 3 was looking dicey through seven and a half innings. The only run that had scored was for the Mariners, when Alex Faedo walked in a run. The Tigers were scoreless and had only avoided a no-hitter with two singles, one from Parker Meadows and another from Javy Báez.

And then ... Báez did the impossible. He singlehandedly lifted the Tigers to a win. Parker Meadows was on third after a walk, stolen base, and advancement to third on a Baddoo groundout for the second out of the inning. Báez came up, and the odds were that he would be an easy out, especially against Mariners reliever Andrés Muñoz, whose 12 1/3 hitless innings since July 5 was the second-longest in Seattle history.

Báez was in a 2-1 count before he saw a hanging slider, which he sent 409 feet over the center field wall to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

Javy Báez was the Tigers' unlikely hero as Detroit claimed another series from the Mariners

Jason Foley came out to end the game in the top of the ninth to face the bottom of the Mariners order. He got Justin Turner to fly out, struck out Dominic Canzone, and then Dylan Moore grounded out to end the game, making Báez the MVP of the afternoon.

The Tigers are now 6-6 in August, and although they're well out of the postseason race, they just look like they're having fun now, and Carpenter's return has seemingly put them into a new mode. These guys are having a good time, and they're just trying to get better to gear up for next season. It would've been nice if they could've turned this on earlier in the year, but there's nothing to lose now.

The Tigers are and should be in screw-it mode. Nothing left to lose; it's all up from here.

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