GAME: Tigers (14-13, 2nd, AL Central, – 1.5 GB) vs. Mariners (13-17, 3rd AL West, – 6.0 GB). GAME #: 31. SERIES: 1st of 3 games. MEETING (2012): 4th (Mariners lead 3-0). WHEN: Monday, 7:10 p..m, Safeco Field. PROBABLE PITCHERS: RHP Doug Fister (Detroit, 0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Blake Beavan (Seattle, 1-3, 4.45). STREAKS: Mariners W 2; Tigers W 1. TV: ROOT Sports, MLB TV. RADIO: KIRO 710 (Seattle), Mariners Radio Network.
The last time (April 28 in Toronto) the Mariners faced a pitcher they traded, former No. 1 draft pick Brandon Morrow (2005) pulled a great haunt job, fanning nine in only six innings and walking away with a 7-0 victory. Monday, Seattle will face another ex-starter they deemed expendable, Doug Fister, who has already made the Mariners look bad.
When the Mariners dispatched Fister to Detroit July 30, 2011, along with David Pauley, for two players currently contributing to the Seattle cause, reliever Charlie Furbush and Casper Wells, Fister had a 3-12 record and 3.33 ERA. In 10 Motown starts, Fister went 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA.
Fister has pitched for, but never against, the Mariners, already 3-0 against the Tigers this season. His Seattle counterpart Monday, Blake Beavan, has never pitched against Detroit. A closer look at the probables:
MARINERS: RHP Blake Beavan (1-3, 4.45 ERA, 1.22 WHIP)
The 23-year-old Beavan, in his second major league season and second with the Mariners, will be making his sixth start and first against the Tigers.
A native of Irving, TX., the 6-7, 240-pound Beavan was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round (17th pick) of the 2007 amateur draft.
After pitching in the minor leagues from 2008-11, Beavan made his major league debut July 3 against the San Diego Padres. He worked 7 IP, allowed three hits, two walks and one earned run in a 3-1 Seattle victory at Safeco Field.
Beavan became a Mariner July 9, 2010, when the Rangers traded him, along with Matthew Lawson (minors), Josh Lueke and Justin Smoak to Seattle for Cliff Lee, Mark Lowe and cash.
Beavan, who had 15 starts for the Mariners in 2011, will take a career record of 6-9, 4.31 into Monday’s game.
- LAST START: May 2 at Tampa Bay, suffered a 5-4 loss to the Rays after allowing five earned runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings; struck out one, walked two and gave up two home runs (Sean Rodriguez, Luke Scott); threw 86 pitches, 51 for strikes.
- LAST VS. TIGERS: Never pitched.
- CAREER VS. TIGERS: No record.
- AT SAFECO FIELD: 5-5, 4.69 ERA in 11 games, all starts, covering 71.0 innings; all 37 runs allowed have been earned; 29 strikeouts to 12 walks; has allowed 13 home runs.
- LOVES/HATES TO FACE: Beavan has never pitched any current member of the Detroit Tigers.
- CURRENT TIGERS VS. BEAVAN: 0-for-0, .000 BA.
Beavan / 2012
- April 12 (L, 0-1): Worked 6.1 innings and allowed one earned run, but couldnt overcome the start by Texas Neftali Feliz, who had eight shutout innings.
- April 15 (W, 1-1): Outdueled Graham Godfrey in a 5-3 win over the Oakland Athletics; three earned runs on six hits over 7.0 innings; seven ground-ball outs and 16 fly-ball outs.
- April 21 (L, 1-2): Was the losing pitcher in Philip Humbers perfect game at Safeco Field; allowed three runs on seven hits over 6.0 innings; gave up one home run among his 101 pitches, 70 for strikes.
- April 27 (ND, 1-2): Allowed three earned runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings, taking a no-decision in Seattles 9-5 win at Toronto.
- May 2 (L, 1-3): Suffered a 5-4 loss to Tampa after allowing five earned runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings; struck out one, walked two and gave up two home runs (Sean Rodriguez, Luke Scott); threw 86 pitches, 51 for strikes.
TIGERS: RHP Doug Fister (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.09 WHIP)
The 28-year-old Fister, in his fourthmajor league season, aand second with the Tigers, will be making his second start of the 2012 season and his first against the Mariners.
A native of Merced, CA., the 6-8, 210-pound Fister was originally selected by the Seattle Mariners in the seventh round of the 2006 amateur draft.
Fister pitched in the Mariners system at Everett, West Tennessee and Tacoma before making his major league debut Aug. 8, 2009 in a 10-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in a game in which Fister did not factor in the decision (did not allow a run in one relief inning).
Fister went 3-4 over the balance of the 2009 season, and became an everyday member of Seattles rotation in 2010, when he went 6-14, 4.11 in 28 starts.
In his first 21 starts of 2011, Fister went 3-12 with a 3.33 ERA. On July 30, the Mariners traded Fister and David Pauley to the Tigers for Francisco Martinez (minors), Charlie Furbush, Casper Wells and Chance Ruffin.
Fister promptly made the trade look bad from a Seattle perspective when he finished the season 8-1, 1.79.
Fister is making only his second start because hes been on the DL since April 7 with a left costochondral strain. He will bring a career mark of 30-21 into Mondays game at Safeco Field.
- 2012: After starting against Boston April 7, Fister went on the disabled list. He recently completed a rehab assignment at AAA Toledo.
- LAST START: April 7 vs. Boston at Comerica Park, received a no-decision in Detroits 10-0 win over the Red Sox; did not allow an earned run on three hits over 3.2 innings; faced just 14 batters, striking out three, before leaving the game.
- LAST VS. MARINERS: Fister has yet to pitch against the team that drafted him.
- CAREER VS. MARINERS: No record.
- AT SAFECO FIELD: 9-16, 3.42 ERA in 35 games, including 34 starts covering 228.2 innings; averages 5.0 strikeouts per nine innings; has thrown one complete game, against San Diego July 2, 2011 (lost 1-0).
- LOVES/HATES TO FACE: Fister has faced only three members of the current Mariners roster, Chone Figgins (0-for-2), John Jaso (2-for-8) and Justin Smoak (1-for-3).
AL WEST STANDINGS
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road | Last 10 | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rangers | 18 | 10 | .643 | — | 8-5 | 10-5 | 4-6 | Lost 1 |
| Athletics | 15 | 14 | .517 | 3.5 | 6-7 | 9-7 | 6-4 | Won 2 |
| Mariners | 13 | 17 | .433 | 6.0 | 5-7 | 8-10 | 3-7 | Won 2 |
| Angels | 12 | 17 | .414 | 6.5 | 9-8 | 3-9 | 6-4 | Won 2 |
MARINERS / STATS NOTES
- CURRENT HOMESTAND: Three vs. Minnesota Friday-Sunday and three vs. Detroit Monday-Wednesday. Mariners swept the Tigers in Detroit April 25-27. This will be Detroit’s only visit to Safeco Field in 2012 . . . Promotions: Monday — BECU Family Night; Tuesday — Military Special Night; Wednesday — Early Mother’s Day Celebration (Mariners Necklace).
- MARINERS VS. TIGERS: Mariners are 170-197 all-time vs. the Tigers, including 94-86 in Seattle and 28-24 at Safeco Field. Mariners lead the 2012 series 3-0 after sweeping the Tigers at Comerica Park April 24-26. Mariners have not swept a three-game series from Detroit at Safeco Field since July 29-31, 2003. Tigers last swept at Safeco April 21-23, 2006.
- LATEST: Kyle Seager has driven in 10 runs in his past five games. In his past 11 games, Seager is hitting .359 (14×39) . . . Dustin Ackley’s triple Sunday was his first of the season . . . Jesus Montero started at DH Sunday and went 1-for-4 with a two-run double . . . In 10 games as a catcher, Montero has batted .444 (16×36). In 17 games as a DH, Montero has hit .200 (13×65) . . . Winning pitcher Hector Noesi struck out five for the second time in his career . . . John Jaso has hit successfully in seven of the eight games he’s started, batting .320 . . . Since being dropped to the No. 7 slot in the batting order, Justin Smoak has gone 2-for-17 and is hitting .180. . . Mariners whiffed 46 times in their last road series at Tampa. In two vs. Minnesota, they have fanned 17 times . . . When the Mariners hit three doubles in the fifth inning Friday, it marked the first time Seattle recorded a trio of two-baggers in the same inning since the fourth inning against San Diego May 21, 2010.
- SERIES/STREAKS: Series Record: Won 4, split 0, lost 5; Sweeps: 1; Swept: 1. Longest Win Streak: 4 (April 24-27). Longest Losing Streak: 7 (April 28-May 4).
- BATTING: Mariners rank eighth (AL) in runs (116), fifth in hits (243), fourth in doubles (52), fifth in triples (5) and ninth in home runs (27) . . . Rank 12th in batting average (.238), 13th in on-base percentage (.291), 11th in slugging (.378) and 12th in OPS (.669) . . . batting 58-for-248 (.234) with runners in scoring position after going 3-for-6 (Saturday) . . . out-homered 34-27 . . . left 186 men on base, opponents 185. . .scored 116 runs, opponents 120. . . scored 67 of 120 runs in the first four innings . . . Mariners 12-4 when scoring 4+ runs . . . Mariners have homered in 10 of last 13 games . . . batted around three times: April 7 at Oakland (4th inning), April 9 at Texas (1st), and April 17 vs. Cleveland (4th) . . .shut out four times (April 10 at Texas, April 13 vs Oakland, April 21 vs. Chicago, April 27 at Toronto).
- BATTING EXTRA: Jesus Montero and Miguel Olivo share Seattle’s longest hitting streak: 8 games, Montero March 29-April 14, Olivo April 22 until he went on DL list May 1 . . . Mariners have recorded four bases-loaded walks (Kawasaki, Ryan, Montero, Smoak) . . . 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 . . . Montero’s 13 RBIs in April were the most by a Mariners’ rookie since 1986 . . . Three Mariners, Ichiro (March 28 vs. Oakland), Justin Smoak (April 17 vs. Cleveland) and Jesus Montero (May 1 at Tampa) have four-hit games.
- PITCHING: Mariners rank eighth in ERA (3.85), fifth in hits allowed (232), ninth in runs allowed (120), 10th in home runs allowed (34), seventh in walks (80), eighth in strikeouts (208) . . . In his past four outings, Felix Hernandez has allowed 15 hits and two earned runs, dropping his ERA to 1.89. Against the Twins Saturday, Hernandez set them down 1-2-3 in seven of eight innings . . . Hernandez has 17 career no-decisions while throwing 7.0 or more innings and allowing one or fewer runs . . . Closer Brandon League has two blown saves after not blowing his first save of 2011 until May 10.
- ICHIRO (0-for-2 Sunday) has 763 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 . . . Three-hit game April 30 marked the 226th of his major league career . . . Ranks No. 101 on career hits list (2,463), three behind No. 100 Harry Hooper (2,466) . . . Since 2001, has recorded 99 outfield assists. Only Jeff Francouer, with 100, has more . . . With 96 career home runs, needs four to become the 12th Mariner with 100. Breakdown: 94 as a leadoff hitter, one batting second, one batting third.
- ODDS/ENDS: Mariners do not have an off day until Thursday, after which they play 20 consecutive days, making for a 37-day stretch including 36 games . . . Mariners have three more bobblehead nights: May 25 (Dustin Ackley), June 15 (Felix Hernandez), July 28 (Dan Wilson and Randy Johnson).
- DEBUTS: Munenori Kawasaki (April 7), Lucas Luetge (April 7), Erasmo Ramirez (April 9), Hisashi Iwakuma (April 20).
- DISABLED LIST: Miguel Olivo (15-day, May 1, strained right groin), George Sherrill (15-day, April 13, strained flexor bundle), Franklin Gutierrez (15-day, March 28, torn pectoral muscle), Adam Moore (15-day, March 28, fractured wrist).
2012 RECORDS / MILESTONES
- 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).
- April 27: Michael Saunders joined Donnie Scott (April 29, 1985) and Jimmy Presley (April 8, 1986) as the only Mariners to hit two home runs in a game in the ninth inning or later (solo homer in the 9th, grand slam in the 10th).
- April 30: When both Miguel Olivo and Jesus Montero homered, it marked the first time in franchise history that two players had homered in the same game as a catcher.
- May 2: Ichiro set a club record for most putouts by a right fielder in a nine-inning game, registering 10 in a 5-4 loss at Tampa.
- May 3: The Mariners featured a lineup at Tampa Bay that included seven left- handed hitters and two switch-hitters. It marked only the third time in club history that the Mariners used an all left-sided lineup. Others: Aug. 13, 1983 at California and Aug. 9, 1983 at Oakland.
- May 5: Combined one-hitter by Felix Hernandez and Steve Delabar vs. Minnesota was the 13th in Mariners history. Ten have been thrown by one pitcher, three combined. Most recent combined: Michael Pineda, Jeff Gray and Brandon League vs. Tampa, July 30, 2011. Most recent by one pitcher: Jarrod Washburn, July 6, 2009
MARINERS WON-LOSS BREAKDOWN
| Rec. | Home | Road | Day | Night | vs. RHP | vs. LHP | Hit HR | No HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13-17 | 5-7 | 8-10 | 2-6 | 10-12 | 10-15 | 3-3 | 11-7 | 2-10 |
MARINERS BATTING PROFILE
| Avg. | Home | Road | R | HR | OBP | SLG | OPS | RISP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .238 | .209 | .256 | 116 | 27 | .291 | .378 | .669 | .234 |
MARINERS PITCHING PROFILE
| Rec. | ERA | IP | R | ER | HR | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13-17 | 3.85 | 266.1 | 120 | 113 | 34 | .233 | .299 | .386 |
PROBABLE PITCHERS
| Date | Day | Opp. | Probable Pitchers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/7 | Mon | vs. Det | Beavan (1-3, 4.45) vs. Fister (0-0, 0.00) |
| 5/8 | Tue | vs. Det | Millwood (0-3, 5.34) vs. Verlander (2-1, 2.38) |
| 5/9 | Wed | vs. Min | Jason Vargas (3-2, 3.09) vs. Drew Smyly (1-0, 1.23) |
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 | W, 5-4 | 10-10 | W: Furbush (1-1); L: Porcello (1-2) |
| 21 | 4/27 | at Tor | W, 9-5 | 11-10 | W: Furbush (2-1); L: Perez (2-1) |
| 22 | 4/28 | at Tor | L, 7-0 | 11-11 | W: Morrow (2-1); L: Millwood (0-2) |
| 23 | 4/29 | at Tor | L, 7-2 | 11-12 | W: Alvarez (1-2); L: Vargas (3-2) |
| 24 | 4/30 | at TB | L, 3-2 | 11-13 | W: Howell (1-0); L: League (0-2) |
May
| Gm. # | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 5/1 | at TB | L, 3-1 | 11-14 | W: Moore (1-1); L: Noesi (1-3) |
| 26 | 5/2 | at TB | L, 5-4 | 11-15 | W: Shields (5-0); L: Beavan (1-3) |
| 27 | 5/3 | at TB | L, 4-3 | 11-16 | W: Niemann (2-3); L: Millwood (0-3) |
| 28 | 5/4 | vs. Min | L, 3-2 | 11-17 | W: Pavano (2-2); L: Wilhelmsen (1-1) |
| 29 | 5/5 | vs. Min | W, 7-0 | 12-17 | W: Hernandez (3-1); L: Marquis (2-1) |
| 30 | 5/6 | vs. Min | W, 5-2 | 13-17 | W: Noesi (2-3): L: Blackburn (0-4) |
| 31 | 5/7 | vs. Det | — | — | — |
| 32 | 5/8 | vs. Det | — | — | — |
| 33 | 5/9 | vs. Det | — | — | — |
| 34 | 5/11 | at NYY | — | — | — |
| 35 | 5/12 | at NYY | — | — | — |
| 36 | 5/13 | at NYY | — | — | — |
| 37 | 5/14 | at Bos | — | — | — |
| 38 | 5/15 | at Bos | — | — | — |
| 39 | 5/16 | at Cle | — | — | — |
| 40 | 5/17 | at Cle | — | — | — |
| 41 | 5/18 | at Col | — | — | — |
| 42 | 5/19 | at Col | — | — | — |
| 43 | 5/20 | at Col | — | — | — |
| 44 | 5/21 | vs. Tex | — | — | — |
| 45 | 5/22 | vs. Tex | — | — | — |
| 46 | 5/23 | vs. Tex | — | — | — |
| 47 | 5/24 | vs. LAL | — | — | — |
| 48 | 5/25 | vs. LAL | — | — | — |
| 49 | 5/26 | vs. LAL | — | — | — |
| 50 | 5/27 | vs. LAL | — | — | — |
| 51 | 5/28 | at Tex | — | — | — |
| 52 | 5/29 | at Tex | — | — | — |
| 53 | 5/30 | at Tex | — | — | — |