(Sports Network) - Since early last week the Detroit Tigers have been able to win after losing consecutive games. The Tigers hope that trend continues when they try to put the brakes on a brief skid tonight in the opener of a three- game series versus the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park.
Detroit won the opener of a crucial three-game series with the American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins before dropping the next two portions of the series to fall one game back off the top spot in the division. It was then outscored 16-5 in the next two games and is coming off Wednesday's 5-1 decision at Target Field.
"It's a good team over there, but we didn't execute so we got beat," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland. "Before it was because it was the Metrodome, now it's this new place. They played better than us in two of the three, we played them better in one of the three."
Miguel Cabrera knocked in the only run and Andrew Miller fell to 0-2 on the season after allowing five runs -- two earned -- and eight hits in six innings of work. The Tigers went 3-6 on a nine-game road trip and will now play nine straight at home versus the Mariners, Orioles and Twins. The are 25-11 in Motown this season.
Max Scherzer is 3-2 in six starts at home for Detroit and will take the ball Friday. He is unbeaten in his last three starts (2-0) and did not figure into the decision his last time out in a 4-3 loss at Atlanta on Saturday. Scherzer threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings and has struck out at least eight batters in three straight trips to the mound. He is 4-6 overall with a 5.26 ERA.
The right-hander faced Seattle for the first time in his career back on April 18 this season from Safeco Field, and held the Mariners to a pair of runs in six innings of a 4-2 decision.
Seattle's six-game winning streak is in the past and it will try to regroup in tonight's series opener. The Mariners failed in their bid for a three-game sweep of the Yankees in the Bronx, as David Aardsma gave up Alex Rodriguez's go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning.
"I've attacked him in the past with very good results. The way he hit it, he did it right smack on the middle of the bat and it went right out of the ballpark," said Aardsma. "In this park, anything up in the air (can be a home run)...he's a very strong guy who can drive the ball pretty well. He was strong enough to hit that one out."
Russell Branyan knocked in both runs and Milton Bradley ended with a team-high two hits for the Mariners, losers in four of their last seven games.
The Mariners, who are last in the AL West Division, own a 3-3 mark on their current nine-game road trip. They will hand the ball to Doug Fister in Friday's series opener and he's just 0-2 in his last four starts. He did not record a decision the previous time out in Saturday's 5-4 win at Milwaukee, as he permitted four runs and five hits in four innings.
Fister, a right-hander, faced Detroit for the first in his career on May 25 this season and posted a no-decision after giving up three runs (2 earned) and nine hits over seven frames.
Seattle has won four of five matchups with Detroit this season and seven of the past 10 games between the ballclubs.