Tigers starter Max Scherzer will try to pull back ahead in his duel with Justin Verlander for the team lead in wins as he takes the mound against the Mariners tonight.
The Tigers won the first game of the four-game set between the two teams on Thursday, but fell last night 3-2 despite a solid pitching performance from Brad Penny. Scherzer has struggled recently, but was still able to pick up his seventh win in his last start even though he gave up five runs in just five innings of work against Texas.
Speaking of struggling, journeyman position player Ryan Raburn will get some time to think about his awful play of late on the bench tonight. Raburn, who’s been playing second base lately, will sit the next two games as his batting average has dipped to .200 and his on-base percentage sits at just .235. Ramon Santiago takes his spot in the lineup.
Here’s the lineups, via Chris Iott of MLive:
Tigers
1. Austin Jackson CF
2. Don Kelly 3b
3. Brennan Boesch RF
4. Miguel Cabrera 1b
5. Victor Martinez DH
6. Andy Dirks LF
7. Jhonny Peralta SS
8. Alex Avila C
9. Ramon Santiago 2b
Pitching: Scherzer (7-2, 4.68 ERA)
Mariners
1. Ichiro Suzuki RF
2. Brendan Ryan SS
3. Justin Smoak 1b
4. Adam Kennedy 2b
5. Miguel Olivo C
6. Carlos Peguero LF
7. Mike Carp DH
8. Chone Figgins 3b
9. Greg Halman CF
Pitching: Michael Pineda (6-3, 2.33 ERA)