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Olivo homers twice as Mariners defeat Tigers

Jun 12, 2011 - 9:52 PM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Miguel Olivo collected his fourth career multi- home run game with a solo shot and a two-run shot as the Seattle Mariners topped the Detroit Tigers, 7-3, to split a four-game series at Comerica Park.

Justin Smoak added a two-run homer and finished with three RBI for the Mariners, who concluded a seven-game road trip 3-4.

Seattle ace Felix Hernandez (7-5) gave up two early runs but was shutdown the rest of his eight-inning outing. He ended up allowing three runs on nine hits and five walks while striking out six.

Alex Avila drove in two runs for the Tigers, who were handed their third loss in nine games and remained at a virtual tie for first place in the Central Division with the Cleveland Indians.

Detroit starter Rick Porcello (6-4), who had won five of his last six appearances, suffered the loss. The young right-hander yielded three runs on six hits while fanning five.

Up 2-0, Porcello was cruising through four scoreless innings, but then had a 36-pitch inning in the fifth to lose the lead.

Just one swing from Olivo split the Tigers' lead in half when he lifted a ball over the fence in left. Later in the frame, Ichiro Suzuki's RBI single down the third base line knotted it and then he moved to second on Brendan Ryan's bunt single and scored on Smoak's fly ball to left that landed between three Detroit players to give the Mariners a 3-2 edge.

"That's what makes this one so frustrating," Porcello said. "We were in the position to win today and take three out of four. Just that one inning cost us all that. It's tough but we'll have to turn the page on this one and move forward."

Olivo struck again in the eighth with a two-run homer that wrapped just inside the left foul pole to give the Mariners a 5-2 cushion.

"He worked hard behind the plate and worked well with Felix," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said of Olivo. "Of course, he had those two big hits for us. He's a student of the game."

The Tigers chipped away at the deficit in the eighth as Avila's two-out single brought home Cabrera, making it 5-3.

However, Smoak added a two-run homer in the ninth to create more than enough breathing room.

Miguel Cabrera started the home half of the second inning with a walk and advanced to second on Andy Dirk's bunt single. After Jhonny Peralta struck out, Cabrera scored on Avila's single, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

Detroit got another two-out run during the next inning after it looked like leadoff man Austin Jackson was going to be stranded after reaching third on a double and an error. Hernandez then forced a Don Kelly ground out and a Brennan Boesch flyout to shallow center before Victor Martinez's single to left plated Jackson.

Game Notes

The Mariners took the season series, 6-4...Smoak homered in five of his seven games against Detroit in 2011. Detroit was 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position...Cabrera drew three walks in the loss...Hernandez threw 126 pitches, 76 for strikes.