"This was the Erik Bedard some younger Mariners fans had only heard rumors about.

The guy who used to throw seven strong innings more than once every couple of years. A pitcher who when healthy — as he was in a 10-1 win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night — could compete right up there with the best in all of baseball.

Bedard didn't need to be baseball's best on a night the free-swinging Tigers gave away outs the way the Mariners handed over players to Baltimore in a 5-for-1 trade for the southpaw pitcher three years ago.

But it was a huge step forward from the five-inning stuff Bedard had offered up his first few weeks back from the shoulder problems that have derailed much of his Seattle career.

"They were swinging tonight, so I economized my pitches and got deep into the game," he said.

And the Mariners actually needed that in a game that was anything but the blowout it turned into in front of 18,153 fans at Comerica Park.

Bedard's first win since June 7, 2009, was anything but sealed before the Mariners put it away with a six-run ninth inning off a terrible-looking Tigers bullpen. Justin Smoak had the big hit in that frame with a two-run single, giving him a career-high five-RBI night.

Smoak had gotten Bedard's night started before the lefty even took the mound, tagging Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander for a three-run homer to left-center field in the first inning. The blast, estimated at 405 feet, came after Smoak entered the game batting just .185 off right-handed pitchers this year.

Last year, he had far more success versus right-handers. But the Mariners have faced a plethora of lefties so far, and Smoak admitted it's taken him time to get comfortable batting from the left side against righties again."