DETROIT -- It was just a scruffy little single but it turned out big for the Detroit Tigers.

Mike Aviles nubbed a one-out hit 40 feet down the first base line with the bases loaded in the eighth inning Tuesday night to score pinch-runner Andrew Romine with the tiebreaking run and lead Detroit to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

"(James) Paxton, even with 110 pitches, was still throwing 100 mph," Tigers' manager Brad Ausmus said after his club inched back over .500 again. "Aviles had an excellent at-bat.

"It doesn't always have to be pretty, but we say a lot in the clubhouse you have to find a way to get it done and he did."

Victor Martinez singled to left with one out off Paxton to begin the rally with the score standing 2-2. Ausmus declined to run for Martinez so he had to stop at third when Nick Castellanos rifled a double to the wall in right center.

Romine was then sent in to run for Martinez at third and Justin Upton was walked intentionally to load the bases. Aviles, down 1-2 in the count, topped a slow roller nearly halfway down the line just on the infield grass and Romine scampered home as Paxton fielded the ball, unable to make a play at any base.

James McCann followed with a sacrifice fly to center for the final run.

"That was an awesome job by James Paxton," Seattle skipper Scott Servais said. "He had command, his changeup was really working. They got the big hits, got the runs in.

"If there was a silver lining for us, it was James Paxton.

"I said to him on the mound, 'James Paxton is back -- and we need him.'"

"He had much better stuff than the last time we saw him," Ausmus said of Paxton. "More strikes, better command all the way around. He was very sharp. And this time our offense found a way to scrape out a couple runs to tie it and then scrape out a couple runs to win it."

Jose Iglesias singled with two out off Paxton (1-3) in the seventh, moved to second on a wild pitch and tied the score 2-2 on a line RBI single to right by Ian Kinsler. Paxton gave up 11 hits and four runs with five strikeouts and three walks (one intentional) in 7 2/3 innings.

Bruce Rondon (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win in his second appearance since being recalled from the minors. Francisco Rodriguez gave up a pair of two-out singles before finishing his 20th save of the season.

"I'm really excited for (Rondon)," Detroit starter Justin Verlander said. "I talked to him a little bit this spring, about his mentality, things like that."

Rondon was exiled to home last September for subpar work habits and attitude. He came back this spring determined to do better but his control and results didn't warrant him starting the season with the Tigers.

Castellanos grounded an RBI single to left with two out to cut the Tigers' deficit to 2-1 in the sixth. Kyle Seager started a 5-4-3 double play with runners on first and second, the third double play the Mariners turned in the game, to limit the damage.

Seager almost had his 15th home run on a 3-0 pitch, pulling the ball just outside the foul pole in right. But he didn't miss a full-count fastball, lining it well into the seats in right to break a scoreless tie with two out in the sixth. Robinson Cano singled in between outfield fly-outs.

"I battled so hard and then gave up a two-run home run that kind of put us behind the eight-ball," Verlander said.

Verlander went the first seven innings for Detroit, striking out five and allowing six hits.

Detroit has taken two straight from Seattle after losing three in a row at Kansas City. The Mariners, like the Tigers bedeviled by rotation and bullpen issues, have lost eight of 10 and 17 of 25. They have the same record as the Tigers at 36-35.

"The guys know we're going through a tough stretch," Servais said. "But the guys still want to be the guy to steps up and gets the big hit."

NOTES: Veteran scout Bob Harrison, instrumental in Seattle drafting Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., died Monday. He was 95. Harrison lobbied hard for the Mariners taking Griffey Jr. as the first player in the 1987 draft and then keeping him with the big club out of spring training in 1989. ... INF Casey McGeHee cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Detroit's Triple-A farm club. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's up here again, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. ... Mariners' 2B Robinson Cano is second at his position in voting for next month's All-Star game. Houston's Jose Altuve leads with 1.606 million votes with Cano at 1.004 million. Nelson Cruz is fifth in the designated hitter voting, close behind Tigers' DH Victor Martinez. 1B Miguel Cabrera of Detroit is second at his position in the voting.