GAME: Mariners (9-10, 3rd AL West, – 6.0 GB) at Tigers (10-8, 3rd, AL Central, – 0.3). GAME #: 20. SERIES: 3rd of 3 games. MEETING (2012): 3rd (Mariners lead 2-0). WHEN: Thursday, 10:05 a.m., Comerica Park. PROBABLE PITCHERS: RHP Hector Noesi (1-2, 9.49) vs. RHP Rick Porcello (1-1, 6.32). STREAKS: Mariners W 2; Tigers L 3. TV: ROOT Sports, MLB TV. RADIO: KIRO 710 (Seattle), Mariners Radio Network.
Winners of two in a row after dropping four straight, the Mariners will try for their first three-game sweep of the Tigers in Detroit since April 26-28, 2011, when the clubs conclude their series Thursday starting at 10 a.m. PT.
The Mariners will send Hector Noesi, shaky in two of his three starts, to the mound to oppose Rick Porcello, a right hander who has a 3-1, 3.16 career mark against Seattle. A closer look at the combatants:
MARINERS: RHP Hector Noesi (1-2, 9.49 ERA, 1.86 ERA)
In his second major league season, first with the Mariners, Noesi, 25, is making his fourth start of the season and first against the Tigers.
A native of Esperanza, Valverde, Dominican Republic, the 6-3, 200-pound Noesi was signed as an amateur free agent by the New York Yankees in 2004.
Noesi made his major league debut May 18 against the Baltimore Orioles. The fifth Yankees reliever that day, he collected the win by working four innings, allowing four hits, no runs and fanning four.
Noesi became a Mariner Jan. 23 when he was traded by the Yankees, along with Jesus Montero, to Seattle for Jose Campos (minors) and Michael Pineda, an All-Star starter.
Noesi, who appeared in 30 games for the Yankees, making two starts, has a career record of 3-5, 5.37 ERA and 1.57 WHIP.
- LAST START: April 20 vs. Chicago, lasted just 1.1 innings and took a 7-3 loss to the White Sox; allowed six earned runs on six hits, including a home run; lasted only 12 batters, fanned one and walked two.
- LAST VS. TIGERS: Noesi has never pitched against the Tigers.
- CAREER VS. TIGERS: No record.
- AT COMERICA PARK: No record.
- LOVES/HATES TO FACE: Has never faced a member of the Detroit roster.
- CURRENT TIGERS VS. NOESI: No record.
Noesi / 2012
- April 9 (L, 0-1): Shelled for seven earned runs in 3.0 innings in an 11-5 loss to the Rangers.
- April 14 (W, 1-1): Collected his first win as a Mariner by working 8.0 IP, allowing five hits and no runs in a 4-0 win over Oakland; fanned six, issued just one walk and recorded 17 fly-ball outs vs. five ground-ball outs; 100 pitches, 68 for strikes.
- April 20 (L, 1-2): Didn’t make it past the second inning in a 7-3 loss to the White Sox at Safeco Field; allowed six earned runs on six hits, including one home run.
TIGERS: RHP Rick Porcello (1-1, 6.32 ERA, 1.53 WHIP
The 23-year-old Porcello, in his fourth major league season, all with the Tigers, will be making his fourth start and first against the Mariners.
A native of Morristown, NJ., who attended Seton Hall Prep High School in West Orange, NJ., the 6-5, 200-pound Porcello was selected by the Tigers in the first round (27th pick) of the 2007 amateur draft.
After pitching for Lakeland in the Florida League (2008), Porcello made his major league debut April 9, 2009, in a 6-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays; Porcello got the start, allowing four earned runs on nine hits over 5.0 innings and lost.
Porcello became a mainstay in the Detroit rotation that year, making 31 starts and finishing with a 14-9 record and 3.96 ERA. He went 10-12, 4.92 in 2010 and 14-9, 4.75 in 2011.
Porcello has a career record of 39-31, 4.59 ERA.
- 2012: Porcello is 1-1 with a 6.32 ERA in three starts. He collected his only victory April 15, when the Tigers defeated the White Sox 5-2 at U.S. Cellular Field. Porcello allowed one earned run on five hits over 7.0 innings, striking out four and walking none.
- LAST START: Didnt make it past the first inning in a 10-4 loss to the Texas Rangers; bombed for eight earned runs on 10 hits, including a three-run homer by Josh Hamilton.
- LAST VS. MARINERS: June 12; took the loss in a 7-3 Seattle win at Comerica Park. Porcello allowed three earned runs and gave up two home runs to catcher Miguel Olivo. Justin Smoak drove in three runs.
- CAREER VS. MARINERS: Five starts; 3-1, 3.16 ERA covering 31.1 IP; has fanned 26 (faced 126), issuing only six walks, but ceding six home runs.
- AT COMERICA PARK: 46 starts; 20-14 record with a 4.79 ERA in 266.2 innings; prone to the longball — 32 home runs.
- LOVES TO FACE: Michael Saunders (0-for-3, .000 BA), Chone Figgins (1-for-8, .125 BA, 1 K), Justin Smoak (1-for-6, .167 BA, , 1 K).
- HATES TO FACE: Brendan Ryan (3-for-4, .750 BA), Miguel Olivo (2-for-5, .400 BA), Ichiro (6-for-16, .375 BA, 2 RBIs).
- CURRENT MARINERS VS. PORCELLO: 13-for-56, .232 BA, 12 K’s.
AL WEST STANDINGS
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road | Last 10 | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rangers | 15 | 4 | .789 | — | 7-3 | 8-1 | 8-2 | Won 2 |
| Athletics | 10 | 10 | .500 | 5.5 | 6-7 | 4-3 | 6-4 | Won 2 |
| Mariners | 9 | 10 | .474 | 6.0 | 3-6 | 6-4 | 5-5 | Won 2 |
| Angels | 6 | 12 | .333 | 8.5 | 4-6 | 2-6 | 3-7 | Lost 3 |
MARINERS / STATS NOTES
- The Mariners have now won two straight after losing four in a row.
- Felix Hernandez’s (2-1, 2.48) three first-inning walks Wednesday marked the first time in his major league career he had walked three in the opening frame. Hernandez has won nine consecutive decisions against the Tigers. His last loss: 2006.
- Hernandez’s nine straight wins over Detroit is the longest such streak against the Tigers since Brad Radke won 12 in a row from 2000-04.
- The Mariners had a season-high 15 hits Tuesday and 15 more Wednesday, the first time they had 15 or more in back-to-back games since Aug. 23-24, 2011 against Cleveland, when they recorded 17 and 16 in 12-7 and 9-2 wins over the Indians.
- After Wednesday’s 9-1 win, the Mariners are 169-197 all-time against the Tigers, including 75-111 in Detroit.
- Seattle last swept a three-game series at Comerica April 26-28, 2011, getting wins from Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard and Michael Pineda; Mariners outscored the Tigers in 2011, 54-37.
- Ichiro, who had three more hits Wednesday, raising his average to .316, is a career .328 (138×421) hitter against Detroit and a .358 (81×226) hitter at Comerica Park (three home runs).
- Three Mariners, Ichiro, Dustin Ackley and Jesus Montero, had three hits, and only two Mariners, Brendan Ryan and Justin Smoak, both 0-for-4, did not have any. Ryan and Smoak are hitting .174 and .190, respectively.
- With Jesus Montero’s passed ball Wednesday, the Mariners have four in the past two games (Olivo had three Wednesday).
- Alex Liddi’s home run Thursday was his second in two nights and marks the first time in his career he has homered in consecutive games.
- After 19 games, the Mariners rank 10th in the AL in batting average (.241), 13th in on-base percentage (.292), 13th in slugging (.362) and 13th in OPS (.654).
- Through 19 games, the Mariners are batting 41-for-165 (.248) with runners in scoring position; they went 5-for-18 Wednesday (.277).
- Through 19 games, the Mariners have been out-homered 22-13.
- Through 19 games, the Mariners have left 111 men on base, their opponents 117.
- Through 19 games, the Mariners have scored 76 runs, their opponents 77.
- Multi-Hit Games (through 19 games): Ichiro 8, Kyle Seager 5, Dustin Ackley 5, Michael Saunders 5, Jesus Montero 4, Chone Figgins 3, Justin Smoak 3.
- Chone Figgins, who did not play Wednesday, leads the Mariners with 59 outs.
- Ichiro (3-for-5 Wednesday) has 759 multi-hit games, which ranks fourth among active players, and No. 1 since his debut in 2001. Ichiro’s 47 games with four or more hits leads all active players.
- With 96 career home runs, Ichiro needs four to become the 12th Mariner with 100. Breakdown: 94 as a leadoff hitter, one batting second, one batting third.
- Felix Hernandez, the winning pitcher Wednesday, has 16 career no-decisions while throwing 7 or more innings and allowing one or fewer runs.
- The Mariners have four bases-loaded walks (Kawasaki, Ryan, Montero, Smoak), which leads the American League and is tied (w/SD) for the MLB lead. The Mariners had 13 bases loaded walks last season, T2nd in the AL.
- Kyle Seager’s single in the fourth inning April 17 marked the 50,000th hit in Mariners’ history, and Brendan Ryan’s walk in the same frame scored Justin Smoak with the 25,000th run in franchise history.
- Two Mariners, Ichiro (March 28 in Tokyo vs. Oakland) and Justin Smoak (April 17 vs. Cleveland) have four-hit games in 2012.
- Jesus Montero owns Seattle’s longest hitting streak: eight games, from March 29-April 14.
- The Mariners have been shut out three times (April 10 at Texas, April 13 vs Oakland, April 21 vs. Chicago).
- Four Mariners, Hisashi Iwakuma, Munenori Kawasaki, Lucas Luetge and Erasmo Ramirez, have made their MLB debuts this season.
- The Mariners have batted around three times: April 7 at Oakland (4th inning), April 9 at Texas (1st), and April 17 vs. Cleveland (4th). Justin Smoak had two hits in the fourth vs. Cleveland, a pair of singles.
- The Mariners have three more bobblehead nights: May 25 (Dustin Ackley), June 15 (Felix Hernandez), July 28 (Dan Wilson and Randy Johnson).
- Series Records: Won 3, split 0, lost 3; Sweeps: 0; Swept: 1
- Longest Win Streak: 2 (April 6-7, April 14-15, April 24-25).
- Longest Losing Streak: 4 (April 19-22).
2012 RECORDS SET, TIED
- April 24: Catcher Miguel Olivo matched the franchise record when he was charged with three passed balls in a 7-4 win at Detroit. Jerry Narron let three balls get by him Oct. 4, 1980, and Jeff Clement did likewise Aug. 10, 2008 (Clement was catching knuckleballer R.A. Dickey).
MARINERS WON-LOSS BREAKDOWN
| Rec. | Home | Road | Day | Night | vs. RHP | vs. LHP | Hit HR | No HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9-10 | 3-6 | 5-5 | 0-3 | 8-8 | 8-7 | 1-3 | 7-4 | 2-6 |
MARINERS BATTING PROFILE
| Avg. | Home | Road | R | HR | OBP | SLG | OPS | RISP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .277 | .195 | .267 | 76 | 13 | .292 | .362 | .654 | .248 |
MARINERS PITCHING PROFILE
| Rec. | ERA | IP | R | ER | HR | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9-10 | 3.99 | 169.0 | 77 | 74 | 22 | .243 | .301 | .392 |
PROBABLE PITCHERS
| Date | Day | Opp. | Probable Pitchers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/26 | Thr | at Det | Noesi (1-2, 9.49) vs. Porcello (1-0, 1.84) |
| 4/27 | Fri | at Tor | Beavan (1-2, 3.26) vs. Romero (3-0, 3.29) |
| 4/28 | Sat | at Tor | Millwood (0-1, 7.04) vs. Morrow (1-1, 3.71) |
| 4/28 | Sun | at Tor | Vargas (3-1, 3.45) vs. Alvarez (0-2, 4.10) |
MARINERS 2012 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
March
| Gm.# | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3/28 | at Oak | W, 3-1 | 1-0 | W: Wilhelmsen (1-0); L: Carignan (0-1) |
| 2 | 3/29 | at Oak | L, 4-1 | 1-1 | W: Colon (1-0); L: Kelley (0-1) |
April
| Gm. # | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4/6 | at Oak | W, 7-3 | 2-1 | W: Vargas (1-0); L: McCarthy (0-1) |
| 4 | 4/7 | at Oak | W, 8-7 | 3-1 | W: Hernandez (1-0); L: Colon (1-1) |
| 5 | 4/9 | at Tex | L, 11-5 | 3-2 | W: Darvish (1-0); L: Noesi (0-1) |
| 6 | 4/10 | at Tex | L, 1-0 | 3-3 | W: Feliz (1-0); L: Beavan (0-1) |
| 7 | 4/11 | at Tex | W, 4-3 | 4-3 | W: Luetge (1-0); L: Nathan (0-2) |
| 8 | 4/12 | at Tex | L, 5-3 | 4-4 | W: Holland (1-0); L: Vargas (1-1 |
| 9 | 4/13 | vs Oak | L, 4-0 | 4-5 | W: Colon (2-1); L: Hernandez (1-1) |
| 10 | 4/14 | vs. Oak | W, 4-0 | 5-5 | W: Noesi (1-1); L: Milone (1-1) |
| 11 | 4/15 | vs. Oak | W, 5-3 | 6-5 | W: Beavan (1-1); L: Godfrey (0-2) |
| 12 | 4/17 | vs. Cle | L, 9-8 | 6-6 | W: Perez (0-1); L: Furbush (0-1) |
| 13 | 4/18 | vs. Cle | W, 4-1 | 7-6 | W: Vargas (2-1); L: Lowe (2-1) |
| 14 | 4/19 | vs. Cle | L, 2-1 | 7-7 | W: Tomlin (1-1); L: League (0-1) |
| 15 | 4/20 | vs. CWS | L, 7-3 | 7-8 | W: Sale (2-1); L: Noesi (1-2) |
| 16 | 4/21 | vs. CWS | L, 4-0 | 7-9 | W: Humber (1-0); Beavan (1-2) |
| 17 | 4/22 | vs. CWS | L, 7-4 | 7-10 | W: Danks (2-2); L: Millwood (0-1) |
| 18 | 4/24 | at Det | W, 7-4 | 8-10 | W: Vargas (3-1); L: Scherzer (1-2) |
| 19 | 4/25 | at Det | W, 9-1 | 9-10 | W: Fernandez (2-1); L: Wilk (0-3) |
| 20 | 4/26 | at Det | — | — | — |
| 21 | 4/27 | at Tor | — | — | — |
| 22 | 4/28 | at Tor | — | — | — |
| 23 | 4/29 | at Tor | — | — | — |
| 24 | 4/30 | at TB | — | — | — |
4 Comments
Thanks for the notes. FYI, last night’s RISP, 5-for-18, equals .27777, not .177.
Thanks, Kyle. I corrected the typo.
Thanks for the notes. FYI, last night’s RISP, 5-for-18, equals .27777, not .177.
Thanks, Kyle. I corrected the typo.