Detroit Tigers vs Seattle Mariners Series Breakdown

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Jun 20, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez (41) hits a single in the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Detroit Tigers players will kick off a six-game road trip on Monday night in Seattle as the team takes on the Mariners. Here’s what to expect in the series against the M’s.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Michael Fulmer takes the mound Monday night for the Detroit Tigers as the team looks to put Sunday’s loss behind them. The Tigers had a chance to win the game late, but ended up dropping the series finale to the New York Mets.

It was only the seventh loss for Detroit since the All-Star break. Despite the defeat to New York, the game did bring some positives.

Anibal Sanchez out-dueled Jacob deGrom by throwing eight innings of one-run ball with 10 strikeouts. What’s more, the series against the Mets represented the fourth-straight series win for Detroit. Series wins will be extremely important down the stretch, and the more the Tigers can rack up, the better.

Brad Ausmus’ team will hope to start a West Coast trip on the right foot as Detroit visits Safeco Field to do battle against the Mariners.

After taking splitting four games against Boston and sweeping the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the M’s have vaulted into second place in the American League West. Seattle still trails division-leading Texas by seven games, but the Mariners are just 3.5 games back of Detroit in the wild card race.

The Tigers will certainly be confident heading into the Pacific Northwest. Miguel Cabrera and friends are 4-0 against Seattle this season, and will start three of the team’s best starting pitchers.

Here’s what to expect.

Jun 6, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Michael Fulmer (32) warms up before the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Monday: Michael Fulmer vs Hisashi Iwakuma

First Pitch: 10:10 PM ET

Monday will see right-hander Michael Fulmer look to continue his impressive rookie campaign as he takes on Hisashi Iwakuma. While not quite the high-profile pitching duel that will take place on Wednesday night, Fulmer draws an interesting matchup against Iwakuma.

Despite a 3.31 career ERA and a 3.74 career FIP, the Seattle starters has had some recent struggles against the Tigers.

The right-hander, who is 12-7 with a 3.99 ERA and a 4.29 FIP on the season, has been hit around in his last two starts against Ausmus’ team.

Back in late June, during a game he started against Fulmer, Iwakuma was tagged for 11 hits, five runs and three walks. The Tigers made him throw 100 pitches in just 4.2 innings. Miguel Cabrera went deep in that game, while Jose Iglesias collected three hits. Steven Moya also left the park twice.

Additionally, in early July of 2015, Iwakuma allowed eight hits, five runs and four home runs against Detroit in just five innings. Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez combined for seven hits, six runs scored and three RBI in a 12-5 win. What’s more, the likes of Andrew Romine and Anthony Gose noted multi-hit games.

Jul 2, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris (44) smiles from the dugout during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Tuesday: Daniel Norris vs Wade LeBlanc

First Pitch: 10:10 PM ET

With Jordan Zimmermann back on the disabled list, Daniel Norris will start the middle game of the series against fellow former Blue Jay Wade LeBlanc.

Norris will certainly go into the game on a run of good form. The lefty allowed just four earned runs over his last two minor-league starts, striking out a combined 14 batters while only walking three. In his last start against Seattle, the 23-year-old surrendered just three runs in five innings while striking out five in a 5-4 victory.

Going against Norris on Tuesday will be Wade LeBlanc, an eight-year veteran who has never faced Detroit before. The 32-year-old has spent most of his career in the National League, and as such doesn’t have too much experience against Detroit’s batting order.

Only four current Tigers have faced the left-hander—Justin Upton, Ian Kinsler, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Casey McGehee. Of the four, Upton has the most experience, with 19 at-bats. The outfielder has only four walks, two hits, a double and an RBI against LeBlanc.

Despite Upton’s struggles, the other three Detroit batters have found success in limited exposure to the Mariners pitcher. Kinsler and Saltalamacchia are both have a hit in two at-bats against LeBlanc. Kinsler also owns a pair of RBI versus the pitcher.

Rounding out the list is Casey McGehee, who has a chance to make an impression after being called up to replace Nick Castellanos. The veteran third baseman is 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and five RBI lifetime against Tuesday’s scheduled starter.

Jul 20, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) acknowledges the fans as he walks off the field in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Wednesday: Justin Verlander vs Felix Hernandez

First Pitch: 10:10 PM ET

Now we get to the headliner.

Wednesday’s duel between Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez pits arguably the two best starting pitchers of the last decade in what can only be described as must-see TV—or JV for that matter.

Detroit’s ace will look to keep rolling— against both the Mariners and opposing hitters in general.

In his last start against Seattle, the longtime Tiger threw seven inning, allowing just six hits, two runs and a walk while striking out five on 105 pitches. The future Hall of Famer has pitched to a 3.35 ERA in 131.2 career innings against the M’s.

Since the beginning of July, the former Cy Young and MVP winner has shown the form that helped him claim both awards in the same season.

Verlander has pitched to a 5-2 record over his last seven starts, holding opposing offenses to a 1.85 ERA, a .172 batting average and a .240 on-base percentage. What’s more, he’s also logged 57 strikeouts over that 48.2 inning span.

A number of Seattle’s best hitter have struggled against Verlander. Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz are both lifetime .216 hitters versus Detroit’s ace, while while Seth Smith is batting .148 against the right-hander.

Elsewhere, Detroit hitters will get there first look at Felix Hernandez this season. The Mariners ace didn’t pitch when the two teams met earlier in the season, but owns a 2.57 career ERA versus the Tigers.

Despite the strong statistics against Detroit, a number of Tigers players have done well against Hernandez. Miguel Cabrera is 11-for-26 with a pair of doubles and RBI while Victor Martinez is 8-for-24 with a home run, four RBI and four walks.

Next: Potential Nick Castellanos Replacements

Other Detroit Tigers with success against the right-hander include Mike Aviles (7-for-20, two doubles and an RBI), Cameron Maybin (3-for-9 with an RBI) and Justin Upton (2-for-6 with a double).

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