Tigers 0 - 4 Mariners
Final
  for this game

Tigers, Mariners clash in rubber match

Jun 1, 2014 - 2:19 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners will play the rubber match of this weekend's three-game series on Sunday.

Seattle responded to a 6-3 loss to Detroit on Friday with a 3-2 triumph on Saturday. The win did not come easily though, as the Tigers' first two runners got on base in the ninth inning before Fernando Rodney got three straight outs, the final of which was a ground out to shortstop from Ian Kinsler.

Rodney's relief effort earned him is 14th save of the season and secured the win for starter Chris Young, who limited the Tigers to two runs on three hits over six innings.

"You know the guy is phenomenal," Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said of Young. "He knows his game plan, he knows what to do and he follows it pretty good."

Willie Bloomquist had two RBI singles and Cole Gillespie also knocked in a run to account for the offensive output for Seattle, which had lost five of its previous seven.

Drew Smyly really struggled as the starter for Detroit on Sunday. He allowed three runs on seven hits and was pulled after needing 105 pitches to get through four innings.

Miguel Cabrera did his best to keep the Tigers in the game, going 2-for-4 with a home run, his 10th of the season.

Max Scherzer will go for a team-leading seventh win on Sunday when he makes his 12th start of the season for the Tigers.

Coming off his Cy Young 2013 season, Scherzer has been effective yet again this year as he is out to a 6-1 record to go along with a 3.00 ERA. He has also struck out 82 batters in 72 innings pitched.

However, his last two starts have gone poorly, as he gave up a combined 12 runs on 20 hits in appearances against Cleveland and Oakland. He did not factor in either decision, but clearly that type of production is not what the Tigers need from him going forward.

This will be the right-hander's seventh career start against Seattle, a team he has had great success against, posting a 4-1 record and a 2.70 ERA in those outings.

Rookie Roenis Elias has the unenviable task of opposing Scherzer in this game.

Elias has certainly had some growing pains in his first season in the big leagues. That was evident in his last start when he allowed five runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings of work in a 6-4 loss to the Angels. The five runs allowed were the most Elias has given up in his 11 starts this year.

During those 11 starts Elias has produced a 3-4 record and an ERA of 4.02 while pitching in a total of 65 innings. This will be his first career start against the Tigers.

This is the first series between these teams this season. Detroit won five of seven meetings a year ago.






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