Detroit Tigers (42-41) at Seattle Mariners (39-45) — 3:40 PM ET
Safeco Field — Seattle, WA
TV: FSD and MLB Network
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket (click for affiliates)
Weather: 79 degrees, clear
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Game Preview
The Detroit Tigers are trying to avoid another losing series on the West Coast Wednesday. Detroit went 2-5 in Oakland and Los Angeles in late May, and are 1-1 in Seattle this week.
When We Last Met
After the offensive outburst on Monday, Detroit scored three runs in the second inning on Tuesday and appeared poised to blow out the Mariners once again. But former Detroit, center fielder Austin Jackson had other plans and hit a grand slam in the third to put Seattle ahead, 4-3.
With the Mariners ahead, 6-5, in the eighth, right fielder Yoenis Cespedes hit a solo shot to tie the game, but Detroit fell in the 11th, 7-6. Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano had the game-winning single.
Pitching Matchup
The good news is Detroit will send right-hander Anibal Sanchez to the mound for the series rubber match. Sanchez didn’t finish his last outing with a great line (7 1/3 innings, four runs, three hits, five strikeouts, and three walks), but he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning.
Sanchez has been pretty reliably in his last five starts, going 4-0 with a 2.61 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 38 innings. Most importantly, the Tigers have won all five of those games.
Seattle will send lefty J.A. Happ to the hill on Wednesday. He is 4-5 with a 3.93 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 72 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings this season.
Happ won his last start, 9-5, against the Athletics and allowed three runs on eight hits in the game, but he lost his four starts before that. Seattle has also lost six of the last seven times Happ has started a game.
Detroit Tigers Lineup
1. Rajai Davis CF
2. Yoenis Cespedes LF
3. Victor Martinez DH
4. J.D. Martinez RF
5. Nick Castellanos 3B
6. James McCann C
7. Jefry Marte 1B
8. Andrew Romine 2B
9. Jose Iglesias SS
Injuries
- Miguel Cabrera — 15-day DL
- Kyle Lobstein — 15-day DL
- Joe Nathan – Out for the Season