GDT: 4/24/12 - DET (10-6) VS SEA (7-10) - 7:05 p.m. ET 
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Detroit Tigers VS Seattle MarinersTuesday, April 24, 2012
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Game Time - 7:05 p.m. EDT ______________________________________
Preview Tigers welcome talented Mariners for series openerBy Joey Nowak / MLB.com | 4/22/2012 8:34 PM ET
The Tigers welcome their second consecutive American League West opponent to Comerica Park on Tuesday, and Seattle's starting rotation has the goods to keep the Tigers on their toes.
After wrapping up a series against the first-place Rangers, Detroit goes head to head for three games with the visiting Mariners. Seattle (7-10) doesn't have as much clout in the standings as Texas, but does have the weapons to give the Tigers a fight.
Both teams are off on Monday. The Mariners can certainly put that day to good use, having endured a strenuous start to the season that began with early Spring Training and included games in Tokyo.
"What is amazing is this was just our first homestand," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "Think about everything that has happened to these kids in the last couple months. It's nothing short of amazing. What are we, 16 games in? Think about the mileage that has been put on these kids the last two-three months. I'm not talking just straight mileage, I'm talking about the mental mileage, too. They'll be better for it. They'll be wiser for it."
Detroit will have its hands full against Seattle left-hander Jason Vargas, who is 2-1 with a formidable 2.84 ERA this season, and was outstanding in his last outing on Wednesday against the Indians. He scattered four hits and one run over seven frames. He scuffled in the sixth inning, but managed to get through it and earn the win.
The Tigers have given Vargas trouble in his career, though, as he enters the contest with an 0-1 mark and 5.87 ERA in three starts.
Vargas' counterpart, Tigers right-hander Max Scherzer, has tossed consecutive quality road starts since he was hit hard by the Red Sox in his season debut. He got his first win of the year on Wednesday, against the Royals, with some help from slugger Prince Fielder.
"Every day, we have a chance to win," Fielder said. "It's a really great opportunity."
Scherzer is 4-0 in his career against the Mariners, with a 2.00 ERA and two victories last year.
Mariners: Ryan shocked by Humber's sequence at end of perfecto• Seattle shortstop Brendan Ryan was baffled that Philip Humber, facing a full count while needing one final out to notch a perfect game, threw him a slider out of the strike zone on Saturday. Ryan couldn't check his swing and Humber hurled the 21st perfect game in Major League history.
"I'm thinking, he's got to throw a fastball," Ryan said. "There's no way he's going to want to take a chance and walk me on the last pitch. No chance. I'm staying on the fastball, 100 percent. There's no way he's throwing the slider. And he threw the slider. Oh my gosh."
• The Mariners are 6-1 when outhitting their opponent, and 6-3 when scoring four or more runs.
• Eighteen of Seattle's first 27 games this season are being played on the road.
Tigers: Racking up the K's• Detroit pitchers struck out eight Texas hitters on Sunday, and now have struck out 131 batters this season, third-most in the AL. Seattle pitchers rank fourth in the AL with 126.
• Miguel Cabrera has 32 career games in a Tigers uniform with at least three hits and a home run. He is second in the Majors since the start of the 2008 season with 32 such games, trailing only Albert Pujols.
Worth noting• The Mariners went 3-6 on their three-team, nine-game homestand.
• The Tigers are 159-94 at Comerica Park since the beginning of the 2009 season.
Tigers: RHP Max Scherzer (1-1, 7.98 ERA)Scherzer has back-to-back quality starts on the road in as many outings since the Red Sox rocked his pitches in his season opener. He has won all four of his starts lifetime against the Mariners with a 2.00 ERA, including two victories last season.
Mariners: LHP Jason Vargas (2-1, 2.84 ERA)Vargas was outstanding in his last outing Wednesday against the Indians, allowing four hits and one run in seven innings. The lefty has been strong all year, but Detroit has given him trouble in the past (0-1, 5.87 ERA in three starts).
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Tiger's MLB Game Notes
RECENT RESULTS: The Tigers suffered a 3-2 loss to the Rangers in 11 innings on Sunday. Thad Weber (0-1) took the loss in relief for Detroit. Drew Smyly started for the Tigers, but did not figure in the decision after fanning seven batters and limiting Texas to one run in six innings of work. Brennan Boesch belted a solo home run for the Tigers, while Miguel Cabrera finished with two hits. The Tigers continue a seven-game homestand with the first game of a three-game series versus Seattle this evening. Following Thursday afternoon’s game, the Tigers head to New York for a three-game weekend series before returning back to Detroit for a six-game homestand with Kansas City and Chicago beginning on Monday.
HAPPY AT HOME: The Tigers have compiled a 159-94 record at Comerica Park since the beginning of the 2009 season, a .628 winning percentage. Detroit is second among all major league clubs with a .628 winning percentage at home during that stretch, trailing a .660 winning percentage at home by the New York Yankees.
MIGGY’S THE MAN AGAINST THE MARINERS: Miguel Cabrera enters tonight’s game
versus Seattle hitting .348 (47x135) with 12 doubles, four home runs and 20 RBI in 37 games during his career against the club. He is second among all active major league players with a .348 batting average versus Seattle, while he is third with a .433 on-base percentage.
SMYLY RACKS UP THE STRIKEOUTS: Drew Smyly fanned seven batters during his start on Sunday afternoon versus the Rangers. The seven strikeouts by Smyly marked the most strikeouts by a Tigers rookie lefthanded pitcher since Andrew Miller also finished with seven strikeouts on July 23, 2007 at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field against the White Sox. Smyly is second among all American League rookie pitchers with 15 strikeouts this season.
BULLISH BEHAVIOR: Tigers relief pitchers have combined to compile a 6-1 record, 3.40 ERA (55.2IP/21ER) and 50 strikeouts this season. Club relievers are tops in the American League with six wins this season, while they are third with 50 strikeouts. Tigers relievers have posted a 1.69 ERA (16.0IP/3ER) over the club’s last three games.
PILING UP THE PUNCHOUTS: Tigers pitchers combined to fan eight batters on Sunday versus Texas, bringing the club’s season total to 131 strikeouts. Detroit is third among all American League clubs with 131 strikeouts this season.
LOOKING FOR THE LEFTY: The Tigers will face Jason Vargas as the club takes on Seattle this evening at Comerica Park. Detroit has posted a 6-1 record this season in games in which the opponent’s starting pitcher is lefthanded.
CABRERA, FIELDER FORM POWERFUL COMBO: Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder are among the leaders in the major leagues in home runs and RBI since the start of the 2006 season. Fielder is third in the major leagues with 230 home runs during that stretch, while Cabrera is tied for sixth with 203 home runs. Cabrera is third in the major leagues with 706 RBI since the start of the 2006 season, while Fielder is sixth with 654 RBI.
MIGGY HEADED TOWARDS 1,000 RBI: Miguel Cabrera enters tonight’s game versus Seattle with 996 RBI during his major league career, four RBI shy of 1,000 in his career. He would become the 21st active major league player with at least 1,000 RBI.
ALBURQUERQUE TRANSFERRED TO 60-DAY DISABLED LIST: The Tigers today have transferred righthanded pitcher Al Alburquerque to the 60-day disabled list. He underwent a surgical procedure to have a screw inserted into his olecranon to stabilize a nondisplaced stress fracture in his right elbow, a procedure performed by Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, FL on December 15, 2011.
ELDRED NAMED INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Triple A Toledo designated hitter Brad Eldred was selected the International League Player of the Week for April 16-22. In seven games during the week, Eldred batted .400 (12x30) with two doubles, a triple, four home runs and 15 RBI.
INJURY UPDATE:•
RHP Al Alburquerque (right elbow surgery,
15-day disabled list on April 4).
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RHP Doug Fister (left costochondral strain,
15-day disabled list on April 7),
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RHP Luis Marte (strained left hamstring,
15-day disabled list on April 4).
•
C Victor Martinez (left knee surgery,
60-day disabled list on March 12).
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Up next (Probable Pitchers) (LHP
Adam Wilk (0-2, 4.00 ERA))
VS Mariners (RHP
Felix Hernandez (1-1, 2.76 ERA)),
7:05 p.m. ET (FSD HD, / 1270 AM & 97.1 FM)• THURSDAY, April 26: Tigers (RHP
Rick Porcello (1-1, 6.32 ERA))
VS Mariners (RHP
Hector Noesi (1-2, 9.49 ERA)),
1:05 p.m. ET (FSD HD, / 1270 AM & 97.1 FM)• FRIDAY, April 27: Tigers (RHP
Justin Verlander (2-1, 1.72 ERA))
AT Yankees (RHP
Ivan Nova (3-0, 3.79 ERA)),
7:05 p.m. ET (FSD HD, / 1270 AM & 97.1 FM)______________________________________
Mon Apr 23, 2012 6:32 pm
out swinging.
out swinging.