Mariners at Tigers
Aside from a 13-2 start to the season, highlights have been few and far between for the Seattle Mariners, but one of them came against Detroit late last month. Seattle swept a four-game set from the Tigers as part of a season high-tying six-game winning streak, but Detroit will get a chance at revenge when it hosts the Mariners in the first of three on Tuesday night.
Seattle posted a pair of walk-off victories while outscoring the Tigers 24-7 but it has lost three straight and eight of nine since running off the six consecutive wins. The Mariners enter the nine-game road trip with fewer wins away from home (21) than any American League team but Detroit, which is a major league-worst 16-41 at Comerica Park. The Tigers, who have won only two series in their own park, need six wins in their final 24 at Comerica to avoid becoming the first team to lose 60 home games in a season. Detroit will send Matthew Boyd, who grew up just outside Seattle, to the mound in the series opener while the Mariners counter with Yusei Kikuchi in a matchup of left-handers.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Yusei Kikuchi (4-8, 5.34 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Matthew Boyd (6-8. 4.16)
Although his winless drought stretched to seven starts, Kikuchi is coming off a solid effort against San Diego on Wednesday, striking out eight while allowing one run and four hits over five innings of a no-decision. It was a needed bounce-back performance after he surrendered four homers and was pounded for six runs and nine hits over six innings at Houston in his previous turn. Kikuchi, who has served up 29 homers, pitched 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball versus Detroit on July 26.
Boyd is coming off his worst effort of the year, lasting a season-low 2 2/3 innings and getting rocked for five runs and six hits (three homers) versus Kansas City on Thursday in his fourth straight no-decision. The 28-year-old struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball at Texas in his previous outing and fanned 10 while tossing 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Mariners on July 28. Boyd is 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA in four appearances (three starts) against the Mariners.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tigers DH Miguel Cabrera, tied with Carlos Delgado (473) for 33rd on the all-time homer list, has hit 14 in 70 games versus Seattle.
2. Mariners OF Domingo Santana is 2-for-22 over the last eight games.
3. Tigers RF Travis Demeritte is 7-for-20 during a six-game hitting streak.