Preview: Mariners at Tigers
GAME: Seattle Mariners (36-34) at Detroit Tigers (35-35)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, June 21 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
The Detroit Tigers paid $132.75 million to bring in Justin Upton in the offseason, and he showed why with a vintage performance on Monday. Upton, who homered twice including a walk-off blast in the series opener, will try to lead the Tigers to another win when they host the Seattle Mariners in the second of a four-game series on Tuesday.
Upton was batting .213 after going 0-for-4 at Los Angeles on June 1 but has steadily picked up his game throughout the month and hit safely in each of the last 10 games. Some of those hits are leaving the yard of late, and four of his eight home runs on the season have come in the last four games. The Mariners squandered a pair of leads before falling 8-7 on Upton’s homer in the 12th inning on Monday and are losers of three straight and seven of nine. Seattle’s run of uninspired play of late is coinciding with a seven-game winning streak for the Texas Rangers, pushing the Mariners 9 1/2 games back in the American League West.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ROOT (Seattle), FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH James Paxton (1-2, 2.86 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Justin Verlander (7-5, 3.87)
Paxton recorded his third straight quality start and picked up a win while holding the Tampa Bay Rays to three runs on seven hits in six innings. The 27-year-old owns 29 strikeouts and six walks in 22 total innings since being recalled. Paxton won his only career decision at Detroit, surrendering one run and five hits with two strikeouts in six innings on August 15, 2014.
Verlander had a string of seven straight starts allowing six or fewer hits come to an end on Thursday at Kansas City, when he was reached for four runs on eight hits in seven innings. The Virginia native got enough support from the offense to pull out a win in that start and is 5-1 in his last six outings. Verlander is 10-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 18 career starts against the Mariners but has not faced them since May 30, 2014.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mariners RHP Taijuan Walker left the team on Monday to head back to Seattle for an MRI on his ailing right foot.
2. Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler is 1-for-15 over the last four games.
3. Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez (calf) is expected to throw off flat ground on Tuesday or Wednesday.
PREDICTION: Tigers 4, Mariners 3
GAME: Seattle Mariners (36-34) at Detroit Tigers (35-35)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, June 21 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
The Detroit Tigers paid $132.75 million to bring in Justin Upton in the offseason, and he showed why with a vintage performance on Monday. Upton, who homered twice including a walk-off blast in the series opener, will try to lead the Tigers to another win when they host the Seattle Mariners in the second of a four-game series on Tuesday.
Upton was batting .213 after going 0-for-4 at Los Angeles on June 1 but has steadily picked up his game throughout the month and hit safely in each of the last 10 games. Some of those hits are leaving the yard of late, and four of his eight home runs on the season have come in the last four games. The Mariners squandered a pair of leads before falling 8-7 on Upton’s homer in the 12th inning on Monday and are losers of three straight and seven of nine. Seattle’s run of uninspired play of late is coinciding with a seven-game winning streak for the Texas Rangers, pushing the Mariners 9 1/2 games back in the American League West.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ROOT (Seattle), FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH James Paxton (1-2, 2.86 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Justin Verlander (7-5, 3.87)
Paxton recorded his third straight quality start and picked up a win while holding the Tampa Bay Rays to three runs on seven hits in six innings. The 27-year-old owns 29 strikeouts and six walks in 22 total innings since being recalled. Paxton won his only career decision at Detroit, surrendering one run and five hits with two strikeouts in six innings on August 15, 2014.
Verlander had a string of seven straight starts allowing six or fewer hits come to an end on Thursday at Kansas City, when he was reached for four runs on eight hits in seven innings. The Virginia native got enough support from the offense to pull out a win in that start and is 5-1 in his last six outings. Verlander is 10-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 18 career starts against the Mariners but has not faced them since May 30, 2014.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mariners RHP Taijuan Walker left the team on Monday to head back to Seattle for an MRI on his ailing right foot.
2. Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler is 1-for-15 over the last four games.
3. Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez (calf) is expected to throw off flat ground on Tuesday or Wednesday.
PREDICTION: Tigers 4, Mariners 3