Max Scherzer pitched eight strong innings and Johnny Damon hit a two-run homer to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 7-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday.

Brennan Boeasch had three hits and Austin Jackson drove in a pair of runs for the Tigers, who were coming off two straight losses to the rival Minnesota Twins.

Scherzer (5-6) struck out seven and walked a pair while allowing just three hits and one run in the longest outing of his career. The 25-year-old right-hander induced 10 groundouts, including two double plays, and surrendered the lone run on a solo homer by Franklin Gutierrez in the second.

Detroit bounced by right away after Gutierrez’s blast, pushing four runs across in the bottom of the second to take the lead. Don Kelly’s ground-rule double plated the first two runs and Jackson followed with a single to center off Doug Fister to score two more.

Boesch chipped in an RBI in the fifth and Damon extended the advantage in the seventh with his fourth blast of the season.

Fister (3-4), who was leading the American League in ERA before going on the disabled list on May 31, has allowed nine runs in 8 2/3 total frames since returning to the rotation last week.