The Sports Xchange
Jun 23, 2017
SEATTLE -- Andrew Moore pitched seven strong innings in his major league debut and Robinson Cano hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Detroit Tigers 9-6 on Thursday night at Safeco Field.
Moore, a 23-year-old right-hander who was a second-round draft pick out of Oregon State in 2015, allowed three runs on six hits. He didn't walk a batter and struck out four.
Cano hit a two-run shot in the third inning and added his slam in the seventh, giving him 13 homers this season, as Seattle (38-37) won its fifth game in a row to move over .500 for the first time this season. The Mariners had failed in four previous attempts to clear that mark.
Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler homered for Detroit (32-40), which suffered its season-high sixth consecutive defeat and was swept in a four-game series by the Mariners for only the second time. The other occurred in 1998 at Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers trailed 9-3 before scoring three times in the eighth against right-hander Max Povse, who was also making his big league debut.
After Povse retired the first two batters, Alex Avila doubled and Cabrera hit a two-run shot to right-center field, his eighth homer of the season. J.D. Martinez then doubled down the left-field line and Justin Upton singled to drive him in.
That was it for Povse. Tony Zych walked Nicholas Castellanos to bring the potential tying run to the plate, but struck out Andrew Romine to end the threat.
Steve Cishek pitched the ninth for his first save of the season.
The Mariners opened the scoring in the second as left-hander Daniel Norris struggled with his control.
Norris walked Nelson Cruz and Danny Valencia, and Ben Gamel lined a two-run double into the gap in right-center field. Gamel scored on a single to right by Guillermo Heredia.
Norris got out of the inning as Heredia was caught stealing on a third strike to Mike Zunino.
Moore retired the first five batters before allowing a two-out double to Castellanos.
Ian Kinsler led off the third with a home run, pulling the Tigers to within 3-1.
The Mariners struck again in the third on Cano's 398-foot, two-run shot to right-center field.
Detroit added two runs in the fifth. Castellanos led off with a double and moved to third on John Hicks' one-out double. Jose Iglesias brought home Castellanos with a groundout to second, and Kinsler singled to left-center to make it 5-3.
NOTES: The Mariners have used 31 pitchers this season, including 12 rookies, and 13 different starters, all MLB highs. ... Seattle LF Ben Gamel extended his hitting streak to 14 games. ... Detroit DH Victor Martinez, who was put on the 10-day disabled June 16 with an irregular heartbeat, has begun light cardio workouts and hitting off a tee, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. ... Mariners RHP Edwin Diaz was unavailable to close Thursday after pitching in a career-high four straight games. Manager Scott Servais said Diaz might also get Friday off. ... The Tigers continue their seven-game trip with a weekend series in San Diego. RHP Michael Fulmer (6-5, 3.45 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday against Padres RHP Luis Perdomo (1-4, 4.97). ... The Mariners will host AL West-leading Houston in a three-game series this weekend. RHP Felix Hernandez (2-2, 4.73) is set to return from the disabled list to start the opener Friday, facing Astros RHP Joe Musgrove (4-6, 5.09).