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Mariners-Tigers Preview

Aug 17, 2009 - 4:41 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Seattle (61-57) at Detroit (62-55), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez hasn't lost on the road since May 9 and has won five straight starts against the Detroit Tigers.

He'll try to extend both streaks when the Mariners and AL Central-leading Tigers open a three-game series Tuesday night.

Hernandez (12-4, 2.72 ERA) is 8-1 with an AL-best 1.96 ERA on the road this year. Seattle (61-57) won his last eight road outings, with Hernandez going 6-0 with a 1.36 ERA to boost his chances of earning his first Cy Young Award.

The right-hander lost his first two career starts against the Tigers (62-55), but went 5-0 with a 3.45 ERA in his last five outings versus Detroit. He has posted 2.77 ERA in beating the Tigers twice in 2009.

For Hernandez to continue his dominance of Detroit, he may need to start having some success against the first two hitters in the club's lineup. Curtis Granderson is 9 for 22 (.409) against him, while Placido Polanco is 6 for 15 (.400).

The Mariners won 11 of Hernandez's last 12 starts overall. He gave up six hits over seven innings and struck out 10 in a 1-0, 14-inning victory over Chicago last Wednesday.

Detroit had the day off Monday after its three-game winning streak ended with a 3-2, 10-inning loss to Kansas City on Sunday. The Tigers were hitless in 16 at-bats with runners in scoring position, and third baseman Ryan Rayburn's third error of the game led to the go-ahead unearned run for the Royals in the 10th.

"We don't have any excuses - not at this part of the season," designated hitter Miguel Cabrera said Sunday. "We want to win the division. Tomorrow is a good day off - we can rest and think about what we did wrong today."

Cabrera has done plenty right against the Mariners this year, batting .455 with eight runs as the teams have split six meetings. He is 4 for 8 in his career against Hernandez.

Detroit's Rick Porcello (10-7, 4.34) is set to start as he returns from a suspension for his part in a brawl at Boston last Tuesday. He and Red Sox slugger Kevin Youkilis were given five-game penalties for the incident, which began when Porcello hit Youkilis in the back and the Boston player charged the mound in the second inning.

"It's over with and done," Porcello told the Tigers' official Web site. "It can't come quick enough."

The rookie right-hander is 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts against Seattle this year.

The Mariners matched their win total from last year and avoided a four-game sweep by New York with a 10-3 victory Sunday. Jose Lopez had three hits and three RBIs while Ichiro Suzuki added two hits and drove in two runs.

"I think, man, we lost a lot of games last year," Suzuki said through an interpreter. "We also have a lot better human beings on this team."

Suzuki leads the majors with 175 hits, but is 6 for 25 (.240) versus Detroit this year.