Tigers fall 3-2 to Mariners
6/1/2014SEATTLE — Willie Bloomquist delivered a pair of two-out RBI singles to help lift the Seattle Mariners to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night.
Chris Young allowed two runs and three hits over six innings to improve to 5-2 on the year. After allowing the first two runners to reach base in the ninth inning, Fernando Rondey picked up his 14th save of the season.
The Mariners took advantage of Detroit starter Drew Smyly’s command problems.
Stefen Romero and John Buck each singled to put runners on the corners with one out in the second inning. Cole Gillespie hit a dribbler off the end of the bat just past the mound to score Romero and give the Mariners a 1-0 lead. Bloomquist added another run with a two-out RBI single that scored Buck from second.
Smyly (2-4) allowed seven hits and threw 105 pitches in just four innings of work before being ousted by the Mariners.
Young, meanwhile, was in cruise control for the Mariners. He retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced through the first three innings.
Miguel Cabrera hit a solo homer to left field with one out in the fourth inning to get the Tigers on the board. It was Cabrera’s second home run in two games this series against Seattle and his 10th home run of the season.
Seattle answered in the bottom half. Gillespie singled and stole second base to move into scoring position. Bloomquist came through again with two outs, hitting a single to left to score Gillespie and give Seattle a 3-1 cushion.
Austin Jackson doubled to lead off the seventh inning and chase Young. Jackson scored on a wild pitch by Dominic Leone to pull back with a run. A walk to Don Kelly and single from Rajai Davis put a pair of runners on but Gillespie ran down a line drive from Ian Kinsler at the wall to preserve Seattle’s lead.
Rodney walked Alex Avila to lead off the ninth. Don Kelly followed with a broken bat flyball to left that dropped in to put two runners on with no outs. Rodney struck out and Andrew Romine and Davis before getting Kinsler to ground out to short to seal the victory.
NOTES: Seattle 2B Robinson Cano missed his third straight game with a sore hand. Manager Lloyd McClendon said that Cano is improving but is still day to day. ... Seattle SS Nick Franklin is 0 for 14 with nine strikeouts over his last four games. His average for the season fell to .128. ... Tigers 2B Kinsler went 0 for 4 on the night and left seven runners stranded on base, with three in scoring position. ... RHP Max Scherzer (6-1, 3.00 ERA) takes to the mound to face LHP Roenis Elias (3-4, 4.02 ERA) in the finale of the three-game series on Sunday.