Mariners 8, Tigers 0: Hisashi Iwakuma allowed four hits in eight innings while Justin Smoak homered and had two RBIs as visiting Seattle slowed Detroit's run toward the American League Central title.

Iwakuma (13-6), who was provided with 10 runs of support over his previous four starts - all no-decisions - didn't need much help Wednesday. The 32-year-old right-hander lowered his ERA to 2.76 - third in the AL - and retired 11 in a row at one point while extending his consecutive scoreless innings streak on the road to 25.

Michael Saunders drove in two runs and Franklin Gutierrez homered for Seattle. Justin Verlander (13-12) lost for the fourth time in five decisions after yielding three runs and four hits in seven innings as the Tigers' lead in the Central remained at six games over Cleveland.

Smoak led off the second with a walk before Saunders drove him in with a double and scored on Nick Franklin's single. Smoak's home run - his 17th - came on a 2-1 pitch with two outs in the sixth.

The Mariners made it 7-0 with four runs in the eighth, including an RBI single by Smoak and Saunders' second run-scoring double. The final two runs came across when Smoak scored on Al Alburquerque's wild pitch and Saunders followed him home after Alburquerque couldn't handle catcher Alex Avila's throw trying to get Smoak.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Smoak has six home runs in 42 at-bats at Comerica Park. ... Gutierrez's homer came in the ninth inning and was his first since Aug. 29. ... Seattle's Danny Farquhar struck out Avila for the final out - the first time they faced each other. The two were high school teammates at Archbishop McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, Fla., and also roommates while playing for Harwich in the Cape Cod League in 2007.