Felix Hernandez
For the second time in as many starts a shaky second inning almost doomed Felix Hernandez and the Mariners.
But just like last Saturday in Oakland, the Mariners offense rallied to pick up their ace.
Despite a three-run, 36-pitch second inning, Hernandez (2-0) and the Mariners beat the Detroit Tigers 6-3 Friday at Safeco Field.
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With four singles and a hit-by-pitch, the Tigers took a 3-0 lead in the second inning highlighted by a perfectly executed suicide squeeze bunt by former Mariner Ramon Santiago.
For Hernandez, the second inning mirrored that of last Saturday's win against the Athletics, when a pair of walks led to three Oakland runs.
The Mariners finally got to Detroit starter Justin Verlander in the fifth inning. Perfect through four innings, Verlander had stifled Mariner bats by continually working ahead in the count.
But a more agressive approach equaled success for the Mariners.
Adrian Beltre, swinging on the first pitch, hit a leadoff double. Russell Branyan followed with a single on the second pitch. First-pitch-swinging Jose Lopez hit a hanging breaking ball to left field to score Beltre.
After Branyan scored on a fielder's choice, it was Franklin Gutierrez's turn to lay down an RBI-bunt single. Yuniesky Betancourt scored on Ichiro's RBI single. Gutierrez then scored on a wild pitch to give the Mariners a 5-3 lead.
Hernandez left after the sixth inning, allowing the three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out six.
The Mariners added another run in the eighth when another Beltre double scored Ken Griffey Jr., who led off the inning with a single.
Sean Kelley and David Aardsma worked the seventh and eighth, respectively, allowing no runs and two hits.
Brandon Morrow struck out two Tigers in the ninth to earn his third save of the season.
Game Notes: Former Mariner Carlos Guillen was 1-for-4. Miguel Cabrera, who leads the AL with a .513 batting average, was 3-for-4. Endy Chavez was o-for-3 with a walk to snap his 10-game hitting streak.
Reach Brady Henderson at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
