Tigers at Mariners
The Seattle Mariners have won consecutive games for the first time in a month as they enter Friday's contest against the visiting Detroit Tigers. Seattle cruised to a 10-2 victory over Detroit in the opener of the four-game series for just its sixth win in 22 contests.
Tim Beckham hit his second grand slam of the season and Kyle Seager also homered as seven of the Mariners' nine hits went for extra bases (four doubles, one triple). "Nice to win a couple in a row, and get off to a good start in the series," Seattle manager Scott Servais told reporters afterward. Detroit recorded only five hits while losing for the 14th time in 16 games. The Tigers are just 1-12 against American League West opponents after losing the opener of a 10-game road trip that includes visits to two other teams in the division - the Los Angeles Angels and Texas.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Daniel Norris (2-8, 5.02 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Yusei Kikuchi (4-7, 5.37)
Norris has dropped seven straight decisions and is winless in his last 12 starts since defeating Minnesota on May 12. The 26-year-old has given up five or more runs in three of his last five turns and has worked fewer than six innings in each of his last four outings. Norris is 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA in five career starts against the Mariners and has struggled with Omar Narvaez (3-for-5, two doubles) while shutting down Seager (0-for-8).
Kikuchi has gone 0-2 over his last four outings and dropped six of his last seven decisions. The 28-year-old native of Japan gave up a season-worst seven earned runs and allowed nine hits (two homers) in five innings while losing to the Angels in his last turn. Kikuchi is 2-5 with a 5.79 ERA in 10 home starts and has served up 14 homers in just 51 1/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mariners DH-1B Daniel Vogelbach drove in three runs in the series opener, giving him four homers and 11 RBIs over his last six contests.
2. Detroit C John Hicks went 1-for-3 with a homer on Thursday after going 1-for-25 over his previous seven games.
3. Seattle 2B Tim Lopes (jaw) departed the series opener after the sixth inning - two frames after being hit by a pitch - and was undergoing concussion tests after the contest.