Tigers get shot at Mariners youngster Taijuan Walker
The only way Taijuan Walker has been stopped lately was by his own manager, who won't be around to do that this time.
J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos may be capable of enjoying success in their first look at the emerging youngster.
Walker looks to win a sixth straight start Tuesday night (9 p.m. pregame, 10:10 first pitch on FOX Sports Detroit), and he'll face some red-hot Detroit Tigers hitters in Martinez and Castellanos as the Seattle Mariners seek to even this three-game home set.
The 22-year-old right-hander is 5-0 with a 1.67 ERA in his last five outings after yielding one hit in six innings in Wednesday's 7-0 victory at San Diego, in which he was lifted after 76 pitches for a pinch-hitter. Walker (7-6, 4.34 ERA) had thrown at least 92 pitches in his previous seven outings.
"He may not like it, but 12 years from now when he's still pitching, he'll thank me," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "He'll say, 'The old man knew what he was doing.'"
McClendon is not with the team for this series since he is attending a funeral for his sister. Bench coach Trent Jewett is in charge in his absence.
Walker has gone 27 1-3 innings without issuing a walk with 34 strikeouts in that span. Only one of the outings in his streak has been at home, where he is limiting batters to a .182 average.
He is 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in two starts against the AL Central this year, though he has never faced the Tigers.
Martinez and Castellanos both enter on seven-game hitting streaks after they helped Detroit (42-40) to a 12-5 victory Monday.
Martinez, second in the AL with 58 RBIs, was 3 for 5 with his 24th homer and two RBIs with three runs scored to improve to 14 for 29 with five homers and 12 RBIs in his streak. Castellanos homered as part of a season-high four hits and matched a season best with four RBIs to improve to 12 for 29 in his run.
The Tigers finished one hit shy of their season-high 20 in a 13-1 rout of Minnesota on May 14. Victor Martinez was 4 for 5 with three runs scored as Detroit improved to 2-1 since Miguel Cabrera was lost Friday to a calf injury.
"I'm a firm believer hitting is always contagious," said J.D. Martinez, who has 11 homers in his last 13 games. "You get a couple good guys in the lineup, a couple good at-bats, all of a sudden the pitcher starts losing confidence and everybody else just keeps feeding off of it."
Detroit may debut Marc Krauss at first base after he was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay on Monday. Krauss is expected to help the Tigers in Cabrera's absence.
"Gives us another first-base option and a left-handed bat," manager Brad Ausmus said.
Logan Morrison hit a three-run homer for Seattle (38-45), which led 5-3 after five innings. The Mariners' bullpen was charged with a season-high seven runs in four innings.
All-Star Nelson Cruz was 0 for 4 and is hitless in his last 16 at-bats at home.
Cruz and the Mariners will get their first look at Tigers left-hander Kyle Ryan (1-2, 4.55), who is 0-2 with a 4.71 ERA in four starts this year. Ryan gave up two runs and issued a career-high five walks in four-plus innings as he suffered Thursday's 8-4 loss to Pittsburgh.
