Mariners Slide Continues

The Mariners have now lost 12 of their last 13 games.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

DETROIT - Finally, a roll.

A 6-1 win over the Mariners on Friday night at Comerica Park gave the Tigers three wins in a row for the first time in over a month and moved them into sole possession of second place in the American League Wild Card.

Manager Jim Leyland said the easiest way for the team to get on a roll would come as a result of quality starting pitching.

That starting pitching had come in flashes during the second half of the season, but not on a consistent basis.

The last time the Tigers won more than two games in a row was a four-game streak from July 15-19.

"I talk about it all the time," Leyland said of the theory that momentum is only as good as the next day's starting pitcher. "That usually works out pretty good."

Justin Verlander proved his manager correct.

Verlander threw an efficient 92 pitches over eight innings, allowing one run on seven hits -- six of them singles. He allowed fewer than two runs for his third straight outing.

Surprisingly, Verlander said he thought he didn't have his best stuff, though that might have actually helped the second-year pitcher get into the eighth inning. It was the furthest he had advanced into a game since his no-hitter on June 12.

"You got what you got on any given night and you just gotta work with it," Verlander said. "I knew I didn't have my best fastball or changeup."

So Verlander remained aggressive against the free-swinging Mariners, and finished without a walk on 92 pitches.

Verlander also endured a brief 31-minute rain delay with one out in the top of the fifth inning. The rain virtually stopped before the groundscrew could even get the tarp on the field, though occasional lightning and the possible threat of further heavy rain kept the game delayed.

"He actually went down into the cage and threw a little bit [during the delay]," Leyland said.

Or not, according to Verlander.

"I don't know what [Leyland's] talking about," said a coy Verlander, who added he heard from pitching coach Chuck Hernandez that throwing in the batting cages during a game is illegal. "I was just sitting there twiddling my thumbs."

Whatever Verlander did or didn't do, it worked. He struck out Kenji Johjima and got Jose Lopez to ground out after the delay to end the fifth.

While Verlander didn't feel that he had command of all of his pitches, he was still able to pitch away from contact when needed.

Three singles loaded the bases with one out in the seventh and the Tigers holding on to a 4-1 lead.

"I was really pitching to contact tonight until I got to the bases-loaded situation," Verlander said. "Then I was really trying to strike somebody out."

Verlander struck out pinch-hitter Jeremy Reed on an 0-2 curveball and got Yuniesky Betancourt to line out to end the inning.

The offense hit Mariners starter Miguel Batista hard early in the game to continue the losing ways of the Mariners, who have now lost 12 of their last 13 games.

Curtis Granderson led off the game with an infield single and Placido Polanco drove him in with a double to the left-field corner for a 1-0 lead just two batters in the game. Magglio Ordonez followed with an RBI single two batters later.

"We got to [Batista] a little bit before he started getting into the groove," Leyland said. "He started getting in the groove and pumping it up a little bit too."

Those were virtually the only runs Verlander would need, though Brandon Inge, Ivan Rodriguez and Carlos Guillen added run-scoring singles later against Batista.

Granderson also hit his 20th homer in the eighth for a 5-1 Tigers lead and now needs just one steal to become the first player since Willie Mays to have 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 homers and 20 steals in a season.

"The good thing is, the big swing is done," Granderson said. "And now I just need to get on base and get to second base [with a steal]."

The Tigers and Mariners entered the game with identical winning percentages -- three games behind the Yankees in the AL Wild Card. The Tigers are now three games behind the Yankees and five games behind the Indians in the AL Central.

"To finally get a win like we did today, with Verlander pitching as great as he did, and [being] able to score some runs, hopefully we're able to do a combination of these last three ballgames for the duration of the season to put ourselves in a good situation," Granderson said.

Another good performance from a starting pitcher on Saturday, this time Nate Robertson, would be a good way to start. Just ask Leyland.

Story by: Tim Kirby

Courtesy: MLB.com

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