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Mariners-Tigers Preview

Jul 20, 2009 - 8:00 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Seattle (49-43) at Detroit (48-42), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The Detroit Tigers were swept in their first series following the All-Star break as their bats went silent. A return to Comerica Park might be just what they need to start hitting again.

The Tigers begin a six-game homestand when they face the surging Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

Detroit (48-42) won four of five - all at home - going into the break, capped by a 13-hit, three-home run performance in a 10-1 win over Cleveland on July 12. That momentum didn't carry through the four-day layoff, as the Tigers hit .208 and were outscored 9-5 in getting swept in three games by the New York Yankees over the weekend.

Detroit managed four hits in a 2-1 loss Sunday and went 1 for 26 with runners in scoring position in the series.

"I thought our pitchers did a tremendous job the entire series," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "If you told me that we'd hold those guys to nine runs in three games in this ballpark, I'd say we'd have won two out of three for sure, maybe even sweep. We just didn't get any hits. Period."

The Tigers will try to rebound by improving upon their 27-13 home record, second in the majors to Boston's 31-14 mark.

Detroit has won 12 of its last 14 at Comerica, hitting .295 with 24 homers and outscoring opponents 82-47. The Tigers have taken six of the last seven meetings with the Mariners at home.

Detroit won two of three at Seattle from April 17-19, but Leyland is wary of the Mariners (49-43), who are in the midst of an impressive turnaround after finishing a league-worst 61-101 last season.

"I just think they're doing things right," Leyland said. "It seems that they're all on the same page. They kind of turned the whole atmosphere around over there, and that's very impressive. That's a very talented club. I think they turned the atmosphere around, and they're playing well."

The Tigers turn to rookie Rick Porcello (8-6, 4.14), who has struggled recently, to open this three-game series.

The 20-year-old right-hander lost his last two starts with a 9.72 ERA after going 7-1 with a 2.53 ERA in his previous 10 outings. The two poor starts resulted in Leyland skipping Porcello's turn in the rotation just before the break.

Porcello earned his first career win against Seattle, allowing one run and five hits in seven innings of an 8-2 victory April 19.

The Mariners are 6-2 in their last eight road games and won their third straight overall Sunday, 5-3 at Cleveland to take the last three games of the four-game set.

"To lose the first game and come back and win the last three - I don't care who it's against or where it is - shows the character of this club and the fight in it," manager Don Wakamatsu told the team's official Web site.

Seattle's lone loss in the series with the Indians, Thursday's 4-1 defeat, came with Garrett Olson (3-3, 4.53) on the mound. The left-hander was pulled with two outs in the second inning after allowing three runs and five hits with three walks.

Olson is 0-1 with an 11.74 ERA in two career starts against the Tigers. His only start at Comerica on Aug. 17 lasted 1 2-3 innings, as he gave up five runs and four hits with three walks in a 16-8 win.