SEATTLE -- Despite some early struggles, Hisashi Iwakuma continued his roll on the mound and with it advanced the suddenly improving hopes of the Seattle Mariners getting back into the postseason conversation.Those struggles were just a minor blip for Iwakuma on his way to another masterful performance, throwing seven strong innings in Seattles 3-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.He is in a really good spot, a good roll and he feels that when he gets off mechanically for a few pitches hes able to correct it and get back on, Seattle manager Scott Servais said. A testament you dont have to throw 93, 95 to get them out in this league if you execute and make pitches.Iwakuma won for the seventh time in his last eight starts, backed by RBI singles from Mike Zunino and Kyle Seager off Michael Fulmer in the second inning as Seattle opened a key three-game series with its fourth straight win.The Mariners moved within 2 1/2 games of Detroit and Boston for the second wild card in the American League.The pitching is amazing, Seattles Nelson Cruz said. If we want to make a run thats what we need. Theyve been doing a great job.No one has been better for Seattle than Iwakuma. The right-hander allowed five hits and struck out eight, running his streak of scoreless innings at Safeco Field to 21 1/3. He retired 12 of the final 13 batters he faced, including striking out the side in the fourth.Iwakuma (13-7) has developed into the ace of Seattles staff, throwing at least seven innings in eight of his past 14 starts. And he got a little payback after being knocked around by Detroit in June, when he failed to make it through five innings and gave up five runs and 11 hits.When you give up a game you always think about coming back and repaying for that loss, Iwakuma said through an interpreter. Im happy that I got to do it today. Were on a streak right now and I dont want to stop the streak.The performance by Iwakuma offset another solid start from Fulmer. The Tigers rising star threw seven innings and allowed only two hits while striking out six. Three of Seattles five hits off Fulmer (9-3) came in the second inning when the Mariners took an early lead. The rookie suffered his first loss since June 17 -- also the last time the Tigers lost when he started.I feel like my misses were in the right spots. ... I think as far as that goes I didnt miss middle too much, Fulmer said. I think its just one inning and after that it felt great.For a change, the runs for Seattle didnt come via the long ball.Cruz led off the second with a double and scored when Seager rolled a ground ball behind Detroits defensive shift and into center field. Seager moved into scoring position when Leonys Martin walked with one out and scored as Zunino was strong enough to dump a broken-bat single over third baseman Casey McGehee and into left field.Seattle added a run in the eighth when Nori Aoki doubled with two outs and scored on Guillermo Heredias RBI single.Iwakuma and a pair of power arms out of the bullpen did the rest. Newly acquired Arquimedes Caminero pitched a perfect eighth in his Seattle debut and rookie Edwin Diaz pitched the ninth for his fifth save.HOME COOKINIwakuma won his eighth straight start at home, surpassing Felix Hernandezs club record. Hes the first AL pitcher to win eight straight home starts since Jerome Williams for the Angels during the 2011-12 seasons.ROSTER SHUFFLETigers: Left-hander Daniel Norris was recalled from Triple-A Toledo and will start on Tuesday night. The Tigers placed right-hander Bruce Rondon on the paternity list to clear the roster spot for Norris.Mariners: Starter Taijuan Walker was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to open a roster spot for Caminero. Walker was roughed up for six runs in four innings in his last start. Ariel Miranda will take his spot in Seattles rotation.UP NEXTTigers: Norris (1-0) will make his fifth appearance of the season and fourth start. Norris was on the disabled list from July 5-Aug. 2 with a strained oblique.Mariners: Wade LeBlanc (1-0) makes his sixth start since being acquired by the Mariners. Seattle is 5-1 in his starts.Robert Parish Jersey Large . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Reggie Lewis Jersey Large . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. http://www.customcelticsjersey.com/custom-danny-ainge-jersey-large-197e.html . - Connor McDavid scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Erie Otters came from behind to defeat the visiting Guelph Storm 4-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Bill Russell Jersey Large . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Larry Bird Jersey Large . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot.Rich Beem looks back at Adam Scotts Honda Classic victory, another near-miss for Sergio Garcia and how the PGA Tours older generation are proving a point to the sports young talent.It was nice to see Adam Scott follow a good week with a win this time around. He got out in front of Sergio Garcia and just kept him at arms length, doing something brilliant every time the Spaniard made a mistake.I think it takes even more guts to go and force an even-par 70 than it does to go out firing on all cylinders and make birdie after birdie. Scott and Garcia went head-to-head over the final two rounds at PGA National Just 13 players in this field finished under par this week, giving it an almost major-like feel to it, so hats off to Scott for going out there and finishing the job.Other players are going to look at him and what he has done with the change from long putter back to the short putter. He used to be a really good putter with the long putter and now he believes hes going to be a better player with the short putter for the rest of his career.Close contestScott was pretty much cruising on Saturday until the 15th, but from then on he had to really grind to finish better than anybody else. The older generation are really starting to show the newer generation that listen, we still know how to win, still want to win and were going to make you earn it. Rich Beem On Sunday he bogeyed the ninth and 10th, but had two wonderful shots at the 11th and then pushed Sergio away ever so slightly with that fairway bunker shot at 12. In the end that was barely enough.Scott kept his composure with the flat stick all weekend,with even that three-putt at the 16th not being that treacherous as it was from so far away.Garcia kept throwing everything at him but that unfortunate chip shot at 16 really derailed him and any chance he had of victory, while Scotts tee shot on 17 was a touch of class. Claude Harmon took a look at Adam Scotts swing during the Honda Classic The Spaniard made another bad bogey at 17, but that putt at the last that just trickled in over the front edge gave Adam something to think about.ddddddddddddig year ahead They both performed admirably and I think we might have been fearful for them, but it looked to me that they were both totally in control of their strokes throughout the last 36 holes.The older generation are really starting to tell the newer generation: listen, we still know how to win, still want to win and were going to make you earn it. Scott held on to claim a one-shot win over Garcia This week is the perfect example, with Rickie Fowler going out flawless over the first two rounds before struggling over the weekend to let a lot of players back in to the tournament.Youve got to think that one of the two will now get in to the mix in at least one, if not multiple majors this year. The way theyre both starting to come around with their putting, I wouldnt be surprised to see one of them taking home a major Championship this year.Sergios near-miss Garcias winless run on the PGA Tour continues Its interesting to hear that Sergio didnt feel like his swing was quite as strong as we thought it was. Im not too sure what hes sensing or feeling in his swing that makes him feel like its off a little bit, although it may be hes getting a little too steep with some of the clubs.I was looking at how he was performing over the first six or seven holes and he just wasnt quite firing. He kept leaving himself four or five footers on every other hole to save par, but saying that he holed very nicely. He also made some good saves at other holes, but we did see a little hiccup from him at the 11th where he just caught a bad patch of Bermuda grass.You sensed that he might start digging it in closer and holing a few more, but unfortunately that never happened for him. Still, a runner-up finish once again, where he performed very well, means hell now be looking forward to the next few events on the Florida Swing.The Florida Swing continues this week with the WGC-Cadillac Championship. Watch live from Thursday on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf Also See:Scott silences the doubtersScott claims Honda Classic winWatch: Woodlands strip shotGolf live on Sky Sports 4 ' ' '