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Tigers nip Mariners, take series

Apr 20, 2011 - 11:42 PM Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Rick Porcello pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and the Detroit Tigers held on for a 3-2 victory over Seattle in the rubber match of a three-game series.

The Tigers rebounded from a 13-3 loss on Tuesday to win two of three against the Mariners.

Porcello (1-2) moved to 3-0 lifetime against Seattle, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk while striking out six. Ryan Perry and Joaquin Benoit combined to pitch 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Jose Valverde earned his fourth save despite surrendering a solo homer to Adam Kennedy in the ninth.

Ryan Raburn had a solo homer for Detroit in the first inning and scored the eventual game-winning run on Brennan Boesch's single in the fifth.

Erik Bedard (0-4) continued to struggle for the Mariners, taking the loss after giving up three runs in five innings. He surrendered five hits and five walks, striking out two.

"I was a little inconsistent, but it's getting there," said Bedard, who missed all of last season because of left shoulder surgery. "I don't know if it will ever be like it used to be after three surgeries. You just work hard, do the best you can, hopeful good things happen."

Kennedy sent Valverde's second pitch into the right field seats for his first homer of the season, drawing the Mariners within 3-2.

Michael Saunders sliced a one-out double into the left field corner, putting the tying run at second base, but Valverde painted the corner to strike out Milton Bradley and fanned a swinging Carlos Peguero to end the game.

The Tigers finished 4-3 on a seven-game road trip and will head home for a three-game weekend series with the White Sox.

"Winning road trip, so that was a huge win for us," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland. "We could've done a little better, but to win the road trip, I'll take it right now.

"We're still getting guys going and some guys aren't hitting yet, but I'll take that, that was a big win."

The Mariners fell to 1-2 on a seven-game homestand that finishes with four games against Oakland starting Thursday.

Raburn belted an 0-1 pitch over the center field wall -- and the glove of a leaping Saunders -- to give Detroit a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Bedard walked Austin Jackson to lead off the third inning and he came home on Miguel Cabrera's two-out single, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead. The Mariners cut it to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning when Jack Wilson singled, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Ichiro Suzuki's single.

Raburn drew another leadoff walk for the Tigers in the fifth, moved to second on Cabrera's one-out walk and scored on Boesch's two-out single to make it 3-1.

Porcello, making his fourth career start against Seattle, worked into the seventh inning. He walked Luis Rodriguez with one out, then threw two wild pitches before striking out Peguero.

Perry came in, striking out Wilson to end the inning, and Benoit pitched a 1-2-3 eighth.

Game Notes

Both teams scratched out six hits and Kennedy was the only player with more than one, going 2-for-4...Raburn hit his second homer of the season.