Detroit Vs. Seattle
Michael Pineda is in position to make club history and help the Seattle Mariners sweep the Tigers in Detroit for the first time in almost eight years.
The right-hander can set a Mariners rookie record for wins in April on Thursday afternoon against the Tigers in the finale of a three-game set.
Pineda (3-1, 1.78 ERA), the first Mariner to post four straight quality starts to begin his career, has allowed a total of two earned runs to win his last three starts. He gave up three runs in six innings of a 3-2 loss at Texas on April 5, his major league debut.
The 22-year-old right-hander, who allowed five hits in six innings of a 4-0 home win over Oakland on Friday, now has a chance to pass Freddy Garcia (1999) for the most April victories by a Mariners rookie.
"For a young man, he has a strong focus out there," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. "He doesn't let things speed up on him and you have to keep pitching and I think that's the most important part of that."
Pineda, who did not face Detroit (12-12) when the Mariners lost two of three to the Tigers at home April 18-20, will try to help his team sweep a series at Comerica Park for the first time since May 16-18, 2003.
Detroit totaled 14 runs at Seattle earlier this month, and outscored the Chicago White Sox 21-3 during a three-game home sweep over the weekend, but has scored just four through the first two games of this series.
The Mariners (10-15), meanwhile, have 17 runs in this series after a 10-1 win Wednesday - their second-highest scoring performance of the season. Justin Smoak - returning from a week-long absence following the death of his father - hit a three-run homer and drove in five runs as Seattle won for the fourth time in six games.
"That's something you want to do, just get back into it," said Smoak, who has homered in each of his last three games - all against Detroit. "Try to take your mind off other things."
The Mariners will try for their first three-game winning streak of the season when they face Detroit's Brad Penny (1-2, 6.35), who looks to build off his first victory of the season.
The right-hander, who had allowed at least three runs in each of his previous four starts, gave up only a hit and two walks Saturday in seven innings of a 9-0 victory over Chicago.
"The most important thing to me is winning the game," Penny told the Tigers' official website. "Anytime you go out and win, I don't care if I give up 10 hits, I'll feel the same."
Making his first appearance versus Seattle since pitching for Boston in 2009, Penny is 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA in three starts against the Mariners.
Miguel Cabrera doubled and drove in a run Wednesday for the Tigers. The slugger is batting .379 with five RBIs in his last eight games overall, and .412 with 13 RBIs in 19 career contests versus Seattle.
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