GAME INFORMATION Safeco Field • PO Box 4100 • Seattle, WA 98194 • TEL: 206.346.4000 • FAX: 206.346.4000 • www.mariners.com Tuesday, May 8, 2012 DETROIT TIGERS (14-14) vs. SEATTLE MARINERS (14-17) Game #32 (14-17) Safeco Field RH Justin Verlander (2-1, 2.38) vs. RH Kevin Millwood (0-3, 5.34) Home #14 (6-7) UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHERS…all times PDT… Day Date Opp. Time Mariners Pitcher Opposing Pitcher TV Wednesday May 9 DET 7:10 pm LH Jason Vargas (3-2, 3.09) vs. LH Drew Smyly (1-0, 1.61) ROOT Thursday May 10 OFF DAY - TRAVEL DAY TO NEW YORK All games broadcast on 710 ESPN Seattle & Mariners Radio Network Spanish Audio available for all home games, presented by ROOT SPORTS via SAP (where available) TONIGHT’S TILT…the Mariners continue a 2-team, 6-game homestand against the Detroit HOMESTAND HIGHLIGHTS TONIGHT: Military Special Night… Tigers (1-0)...began homestand with three games against Minnesota Twins (2-1)…following this WED: Early Mother’s Day Celebration homestand, will embark on a 11-day, 10-game, 4-city roadtrip to New York (3 games), Boston (2 - Mariners Necklace & Grand Slam games), Cleveland (2 games) and Colorado (3 games)…tonight’s game will be televised on ROOT Family Package Night. Sports in high defi nition & broadcast live on 710 ESPN Seattle & Mariners Radio Network. VOTE NOW, VOTE OFTEN All-Star Balloting has begun throughout ODDS AND ENDS…have won last three games after losing season-high 7 straight games, the 2nd- the ballpark & on Mariners.com/Vote longest losing streak in the Majors this season (KC, 12 G)…7G skid followed a season-high 4-game …fans can vote in park through June win streak April 24-27. 17 & online through June 28. • Road Warriors -- 18 of fi rst 27 (and 28 of fi rst 43) Mariners games will be played on the road. VERLANDER ON TAP • Sent 10+ batters to the plate 3 times: 4/7 @OAK (10), 4/9 @TEX (10) & 4/17 vs. CLE (11). 2011 AL MVP & Cy Young Justin • Ichiro set a new club record with 10 putouts in RF (9.0 inn. game) May 2 at TB. Verlander will face the Mariners • On April 17 vs. CLE Kyle Seager collected franchise hit #50,000 and Justin Smoak scored run #25,000. today...vs. Seattle in his career is 8-6, 3.34 ERA (36 ER, 97.0 IP) with SEATTLE VS. TIGERS…the Mariners and Tigers meet for the 5th of 6 games (4-0) this season… 88 strikeouts...at Safeco Field he swept the Tigers in Detroit April 24-26 (3 games)...Seattle won the season series last year going 6-4, is 3-4, 4.44 ERA (24 ER, 48.2 IP) with 35 strikeouts...Seattle has won snapping a string of 6 consecutive losing seasons against the Tigers…went 1-2 at home and 5-2 on Verlander’s last three starts at Safeco the road; Detroit won 2 of 3 in Seattle (May 18-20) and Mariners swept the Tigers in Detroit (April 26- fi eld and 4 of last 5. 28) and took 2 of 3 in Detroit June 10-12)…trail the all-time series 171-197-1…are 95-86 in Seattle, MOST ML APPEARANCES including 25-24 in Safeco Field, and are 9-6 in last 15 games here. 1. Steve Delabar, SEA ..............16 Rex Brothers, COL .................16 LET’S GO STREAKING…the Mariners have won the last 5 games vs. the Tigers (dating back to June 11, Tim Byrdak, NYM ................... 16 2011), which is the longest Mariners current win streak vs. an AL team...it is the sixth time in franchise Kenley Jansen ........................ 16 history to win at least 5 straight games vs. Detroit, and fi rst since winning a franchise-high 8 games Joel Peralta, TB...................... 16 April 27, 2003-April 30, 2004...the Mariners longest current win streak vs. any opponent is 7 games vs. Francisco Rodriguez, MIL ......16 Arizona (7/17/01-current). ALL-TIME HITS LIST 97. Ted Simmons ....................2,472 D-LIGHTFUL...Seattle has hit a combined .292 (42x144) with 24 runs, 9 doubles, 4 home runs and 98. Joe Medwick ..................... 2,471 23 RBI during their 4 win streak over the Tigers this season...over the last 14 games against Detroit 99. Frank Thomas ...................2,468 (since start of 2011) are batting a combined .272 (133x489) with 78 runs, 24 doubles, 3 triples, 17 100. Harry Hooper .................... 2,466 home runs and 75 RBI...averaging 5.57 runs per game against Detroit during that span. 101. Ichiro Suzuki ....................2,465 LEADING MAN...Dustin Ackley is batting .308 (8x26) with 5 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 RBI, 5 walks NOTHING GETS BY HIM Justin Smoak has not allowed an error with .419 OBP and .462 SLG % in 7 games in the leadoff spot...in 23 games batting second this in his last 57 games/56 starts (479 season was batting .221 (21x95) with 5 doubles, 1 home run, 6 RBI, .275 OBP, .305 SLG %. TC) at 1B, the longest current streak among active American League fi rst SEAGER, AGAIN…in his last 12 games (since April 24), Kyle Seager is hitting .333 (14x42) with 3 basemen (min 1 GS at 1B in 2012): doubles, 3 home runs and 11 RBI...he has a .619 slugging percentage and a .983 OPS over the stretch. 1. Justin Smoak ........................57 2. Mark Teixeira, NYY ................ 44 ROOKIE RANKINGS…in his last 13 games, Jesus Montero is batting .321 (18x56) with 7 runs 3. Nick Swisher, NYY .................36 scored, 4 doubles, 2 home runs and 9 RBI...amongst ML rookies this season, Montero currently 4. Adrian Gonzalez, Bos ............ 34 ranks fi rst in average (.286), hits (30) and slugging percentage (.448), while tying for the lead in runs 5. Paul Konerko, CWS ..............32 scored (10), doubles (5) and ranking 2nd in home runs (4), RBI (16) and on-base percentage (.294). MAY IS GOOD TO ICHIRO APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS…Jason Vargas is 0-0 with a 1.42 ERA (1 ER, 6.1 IP) in Ichiro is currently batting .318 (7x22) in May...he is a career .350 (460x1315) one start in the month of May this season and is 5-2 with a 3.26 ERA (41 ER, 113.1 IP) in 22 games, hitter in May, which is the highest 16 starts in May during his career...his 3.26 ERA is the lowest monthly ERA total of any month in his average amongst active players career...since 2009 he is 5-2 with a 2.58 ERA (28 ER, 97.2 IP) in 17 games, 15 starts, which ranks (min. 300 PA)…here is a look at the top active hitters in May: 2nd among current American League pitchers (min. 50.0 IP), behind on Justin Verlander (2.28 ERA). 1. Ichiro ................................ .350 EDUCATION DAY…today was the Mariners 15th annual Education Day...the Mariners presented 2. Hunter Pence, PHI ............. .342 3. Joe Mauer, MIN .................. .339 D.R.E.A.M. Team assemblies at fi ve grade schools in the greater Seattle area...since since 1998 the 4. Kevin Youkilis, BOS .......... .328 Mariners are 7-7 on Education Day...won last year after losing the 6 previous Ed Day games. 5. Brian McCann, ATL ............ .326 STARTERS…Mariners starters lead the American League in starts of 7.0+ innings while allowing IRON MEN one earned run or less with 9 (Hernandez, 5; Noesi, 2; Vargas & Millwood, 1)...the next closest AL The Mariners are in the 15th game (7-7) teams are TB, OAK & BAL with 6...St. Louis leads Majors with 11...Seattle ranked 6th in AL in 2011 of playing a game in 16 consecutive days…following an “off day” on May with 32 such starts...Hernandez had 8 games of 7.0+ IP, less than or equal to one ER in 2011. 10, which will actually be a travel day DOUBLE VISION…the Mariners rank T3rd in the Major Leagues with 55 doubles, ranking behind from Seattle to New York, Mariners will play in 20 consecutive days only the Red Sox (78) and Royals (67)…Mariners have three players (Michael Saunders, Dustin making for 37-day stretch w/ 36 G. Ackley, Kyle Seager) on pace for at least 35 doubles this season…club record for most players with 35+ doubles in a season is 3, done 6 times, last in 2008: Yuniesky Betancourt (36), Raul Ibanez (43), COOL HAND LUCAS Lucas Luetge has not allowed an Jose Lopez (41)…Seattle ranked 26th in the Majors in doubles in 2011 with 253. ER in his fi rst 12 Major League JOHN JASO JINGLEHEIMER SCHMIDT…John Jaso recorded his fi rst career walk-off RBI, last appearances (8.1 IP)…fi rst Mariner since Mark Lowe (13 appearances, night with a sacrifi ce fl y in the bottom of the 9th inning to score Munenori Kawaski from third base... 17.2 IP) to open MLB career with it was the fi rst Mariners walk-off sacrifi ce fl y since Jose Guillen on Sept. 14, 2007...Jaso has hit 0.00 ERA in fi rst 12 G of MLB career. safely in 7 of his 8 starts this season, including his last 5, batting .321 (9x28) with 4 runs scored, 4 ON THE AIR doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run and 6 RBI. Mariners will again use a rotation of WALK THIS WAY…Ichiro has 5 walks over last 3 games...fi rst time since June 5-7, 2010 with 5 announcers this season, all former BB over 3-game stretch...his career-high for walks in consecutive games is 4 (4x, last: 6/22-25/10).