Mariners get 2 runs in the 7th inning to blank Tigers in 2-0 victory
4/18/2013SEATTLE — Kyle Seager hit a two-out RBI double off Justin Verlander in the seventh inning to break a scoreless tie and help give the Seattle Mariners a 2-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.
The teams played the series finale about 13 hours after the Tigers' 2-1 victory in 14 innings in a game that had a combined 40 strikeouts and had Justin Smoak tagged out at home in a collision with catcher Brayan Pena for the final out.
Verlander (2-2), who threw 126 pitches in seven innings, gave up a two-out single to Robert Andino. Seager then hit the first pitch into the left-field corner. Andino raced around from first.
Endy Chavez followed with a single to left, scoring Seager. Tiger catcher Alex Avila caught the throw from left-fielder Andy Dirks, but did not position himself in front of the plate to block Seager's slide. He slid under the tag.
Verlander struck out 12 — two short of his career high — and gave up nine hits, two runs and walked one.
Carter Capps (1-1) worked two innings to pick up his first major league victory. Tom Wilhelmsen earned his sixth save.
Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma continued his strong start. He matched up well with Verlander until he developed a blister in the middle finger of his right hand, forcing him to leave after just six innings and 70 pitches. He allowed three hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
In his four starts this season, Iwakuma has allowed just 12 hits, five runs, two walks and 18 strikeouts. He has a 1.69 ERA
One of the Tigers' best chances came in the first when Miguel Cabrera sent Chavez to the warning track. But Chavez went to the left-center wall to make the catch.
Chavez also made an outstanding diving catch in the ninth on a Prince Fielder blooper.
The only Tiger to reach second was Victor Martinez in the fifth. He singled, advanced to second on Jhonny Peralta's ground out and was left stranded.
The Mariners struck out 12 times on Thursday, one game after they set a club record with 21 strikeouts on Wednesday.
Notes: After the 14-inning game Wednesday, the Mariners needed to add to their bullpen. The club promoted RHP Hector Noesi from Triple-A Tacoma before the game. RHP Bobby LaFrombois, who came up April 10, went back down. "It's his day to pitch, so we needed a guy who can give us the greatest amount of length, in case we needed it," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. ... Fielder had two hits after going 0 for 11 in the first two games. ... The combined 40 strikeouts by the Tigers and Mariners on Wednesday tied for the second most since 1920. ... The A's and Angels combined for a record 43 in 20 innings on July 9, 1971 and the Padres and Giants also had 40 on June 19, 2001.