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Mariners-Tigers Preview

Aug 20, 2009 - 3:48 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Seattle (61-58) at Detroit (63-55), 1:05 p.m. EDT

Coming off his best outing with his new team, Jarrod Washburn tries to build off that effort when he faces his old club.

The veteran left-hander makes his first start against the Seattle Mariners since they traded him to the Detroit Tigers in Thursday's series finale at Comerica Park.

Washburn (8-7, 2.95 ERA) went 31-49 with a 4.17 ERA in a little more than 3 1/2 seasons with Seattle before being traded to Detroit (63-56) on July 31. He's 0-1 with a 5.12 ERA in three starts with the Tigers, but pitched well in his last outing despite not receiving a decision.

One day after turning 35, Washburn allowed three hits in eight innings of a 1-0 victory over Kansas City on Friday.

"I finally feel like I've done something to become part of the team," he said. "I'm getting comfortable with the team."

Making his first start against Seattle since pitching for the Los Angeles Angels in 2005, Washburn is 8-8 with a 4.38 ERA in 21 starts versus the Mariners (62-58), who evened this three-game set with a 3-1 win Wednesday.

Ichiro Suzuki went 2 for 4 with a homer to help Seattle earn its third win in eight games. Suzuki is 12 for 23 with four RBIs in his last five contests.

He's 8 for 13 in his last three against Detroit, which saw its AL Central lead over the Chicago White Sox dwindle to two games.

The Tigers managed two runs or fewer for the fifth time in seven games.

"It seems like we are always one big hit away from exploding," catcher Gerald Laird said of the Tigers, whose .258 team batting average is the lowest among the six division leaders. "It seems like it never comes. We've got to find a way to make that happen."

Magglio Ordonez had three hits and Carlos Guillen added his fifth homer in Wednesday's loss as Detroit fell to 4-4 in the season series. Ordonez is batting .396 in his last 13 games, and .381 versus Seattle in 2009.

Aubrey Huff is 1 for 7 in two games since the Tigers acquired the veteran corner infielder in a trade with Baltimore on Monday. He is 1 for 2 with a double against Seattle's scheduled starter Ryan Rowland-Smith.

Rowland-Smith (2-1, 3.60) allowed two runs and three hits while striking out five in seven innings, but didn't receive a decision in a 4-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Friday.

In his only start against Detroit, the Australian left-hander gave up one run in five innings of a 2-1, 15-inning loss to the Tigers on July 6. 2008.

Seattle could have veteran Bill Hall in the lineup after he was acquired in a trade with Milwaukee on Wednesday.

The versatile Hall, who hit a career-high 35 home runs in 2006, was batting .201 with six homers and 24 RBIs in 76 games when the Brewers designated him for assignment last week.

"I think that given his ongoing struggles in Milwaukee, this gives him a fresh start," Brewers general manager Gord Ash said of Hall, who could see time at third base in place of the injured Adrian Beltre.