Tigers at Mariners
Seattle right-hander Felix Hernandez will look for his fourth victory in his past five starts when the Mariners host the Detroit Tigers on Friday in the second contest of a four-game set. Hernandez defeated the Tigers last Saturday in Detroit but he allowed five runs and eight hits over five innings.
With Robinson Cano sidelined due to a broken hand and an 80-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's performance-enhancing drug policy, Dee Gordon will be starting at second base on Friday for the first time this season. Gordon has been playing center field for the Mariners but he was a National League Gold Glove winner at second base in 2015 while playing for the Miami Marlins. "I hadn't taken a ground ball since December," Gordon told reporters prior to Thursday's 3-2 loss against the Tigers. "I'm not going to be perfect out there. Like I said when I went to center, I'm trying to learn a position in the big leagues. Now, I'm going back to another position in the big leagues." Shortstop Jose Iglesias stroked a two-run single with two outs in the eighth inning as Detroit rallied to win the opener.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, ROOT Sports Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Michael Fulmer (1-3, 4.37 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (5-3, 5.66)
Fulmer was roughed up by Seattle last Saturday in Detroit when he served up homers to Ryon Healy and Cano while giving up six runs and six hits over 4 1/3 innings. The setback was Fulmer's first since April 12 but stretched his winless drought to six straight turns. Fulmer is 0-2 with a 5.17 ERA in three career starts against the Mariners and he lost his lone outing at Safeco Field when he gave up two runs and five hits over seven innings on August 8, 2016.
Hernandez has pitched six or fewer innings in eight of his nine starts as he struggles to find the form he possessed earlier in his career. The 32-year-old has served up at least one homer in four consecutive starts and has given up 10 on the season, nearly halfway to the career-worst 23 he served up in both 2006 and 2015. Hernandez is 10-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 17 career starts against the Tigers and has been roughed up by Leonys Martin (11-for-32, one homer), who is expected to be activated from the disabled list Friday if his hamstring injury proves healed.
WALK-OFFS
1. Seattle DH Nelson Cruz (foot) is 4-for-5 versus Fulmer and is hoping to return to the lineup after a two-game absence.
2. Detroit OF JaCoby Jones (hip) was hitless in five at-bats in the opener after departing a game against the Cleveland Indians one night earlier.
3. Seattle recalled RHP Ryan Cook - who pitched in a big-league game Thursday for the first time since 2015 - and optioned fellow RHP Christian Bergman to the same Triple-A Tacoma affiliate.