Detroit @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 17, 2013 ) Detroit 2, Seattle 1

There will likely be some tired eyes when the Seattle Mariners host the Detroit Tigers in the finale of their three-game series Thursday afternoon. They played 14 innings Wednesday night before the Tigers came away with a 2-1 victory, their fourth consecutive win on their nine-game trip. Seattle appeared ready to tie the score when Dustin Ackley doubled with runners on first and second, but Justin Smoak was cut down at the plate during a violent collision with catcher Brayan Pena to end the game.

Detroit first baseman Prince Fielder may need a day off after striking out nine times in the last two games, becoming the fourth player since 1990 to fan at least four times in consecutive games. The Tigers came into Wednesday’s game hitting .307, but scraped together only seven hits in 50 at-bats to see their average fall to a major league-leading .291. Torii Hunter was the only player for Detroit to collect multiple hits, finishing 2-for-5 with a walk. The Mariners are hoping Ackley has finally awakened from his slump. He had two hits Wednesday to raise his average to .143.

TV: 3:40 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Detroit, ROOT Sports (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Justin Verlander (2-1, 1.96 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (2-0, 2.18)

Verlander will try to complete the three-game sweep against a team he's had marginal success against in his career. He’s 9-6 against the Mariners in his lifetime with a 3.41 ERA. Seattle first baseman Kendrys Morales is one of the few hitters who have seen the ball well off Verlander in his career, recording seven hits in 18 at-bats with nine RBIs. The opposite can be said of Raul Ibanez, who is 3-for-29 in his career against the right-hander. Verlander is especially tough during the day, owning a 49-17 mark and 2.84 ERA in 84 starts.

The Mariners liked what they’ve seen from Iwakuma. He has lasted at least six innings in all three starts, hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of those outings and has one walk and 16 strikeouts. His lone experience against the Tigers came in a three-inning relief appearance last May, when he allowed one run on three hits in a 3-2 victory by Seattle. Hunter is the only player on the Tigers who has faced Iwakuma more than twice, collecting two hits in 10 at-bats while he was with the Los Angeles Angels.

WALK-OFFS

1. The teams combined for 40 strikeouts Wednesday. The only game that has featured more strikeouts (43) was a 20-inning marathon between the Oakland Athletics and California Angels in 1971.

2. Tigers 2B Omar Infante is hitless in his last 16 at-bats.

3. The Tigers bullpen has thrown 12 consecutive scoreless innings.

PREDICTION: Tigers 5, Mariners 1