Upcoming Match-ups

James Paxton Leads Shorthanded Mariners Against Tigers

Ryan Murphy

by Ryan Murphy in MLB Baseball

Updated May 18, 2018 · 2:43 PM PDT

James Paxton goes into his windup.
James Paxton is the first Canadian to throw a no-hitter in Canada. Photo by: hj_west (flickr) [CC License]

Expect sparks to fly on Saturday, May 19th as the Tigers and Mariners resume their four-game series at Safeco Field.

Detroit drew first blood on Thursday night with a hard-fought 3-2 victory. Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd struck out nine in his best start of the season, and shortstop Jose Iglesias came up big with a two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning to give Detroit the lead for good.

The Tigers haven’t had many victories in 2018, but they have done well against the Mariners, winning three of their four games. They’ve averaged 4.25 runs per game in those matches and will be eager to inflict a little more damage tonight.

Below, find key statistics and betting trends, weather forecast, and a score prediction for tonight’s game. And don’t forget to check out our MLB Betting Hub to see the opening odds.

Team Stats

tigers
VS
mariners
20-23 (8-13 Away) RECORD 24-19 (9-10 Home)
-11 RUN DIFFERENTIAL 0.0
RHP Mike Fiers: 4-2, 4.23 ERA, 1.20 WHIP  PROBABLE STARTER LHP James Paxton: 2-1, 3.52 ERA, 1.12 WHIP
.245 BA, .272 OPS (in 273 at-bats) LINEUP VS OPPONENT STARTER  .320 BA, .352 OPS (in 50 at-bats)
4.29 ERA (19th in MLB) BULLPEN ERA 4.10 ERA (16th in MLB)
.735 (12th in MLB) TEAM OPS .753 (7th in MLB)
3-1 (1-0 Away)  2018 HEAD-TO-HEAD 1-3 (0-1 Home)

*All stats are from May 18th, 2018

The Tigers will send Mike Fiers to the mound. The 32-year-old righthander is 4-2 with a 4.23 ERA and has won his last two starts. Fiers looked especially impressive against the Indians on May 14th, giving up just three hits in six innings. He won’t blow you away with his four-seamer, but he’s a dependable back-of-the-rotation starter with a sneaky slider and above-average cutter.

Fiers is a dependable back-of-the-rotation starter with a sneaky slider and above-average cutter.

The Mariners will counter with James Paxton. The 29-year-old southpaw has emerged as the undisputed ace of the staff after throwing a no-hitter against the Blue Jays on May 8th. Paxton needed just 99 pitches to dispatch Toronto, striking out seven of the batters he faced. He wasn’t quite as sharp in his most recent start against Detroit, but he has the ability to overwhelm batters with his electric stuff on any given night.

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Betting Results & Trends

TIGERS  TREND MARINERS
 Won 1 WIN/LOSS STREAK Lost 2
6-4 LAST 10 5-5
24-19 RUNLINE RECORD 24-19
19-23-1 OVER/UNDER SPLIT 25-18
Under 2 OVER/UNDER STREAK Under 2

*All stats are from May 18th, 2018

Weather Forecast at Opening Pitch

TEMPERATURE 67°
HUMIDITY 58%
WIND SPEED NNW 4 mph
P.O.P. 30%

Score Prediction

TIGERS 4
MARINERS  3

The Mariners will be without two of their biggest sluggers on Saturday night. Nelson Cruz has been hobbled with a bone bruise in his right foot, while Robinson Cano was sent to the DL on May 13th after fracturing his right hand in a game against the Tigers. Adding insult to injury, Cano has since been banned for 80 games for violating the league’s drug policy. The news casts a serious shadow over his long term legacy while also jeopardizing Seattle’s short term future.

The Mariners were hardly an offensive juggernaut with Cruz and Cano, and they’ll struggle to generate runs now that both players are unavailable.  Expect a low-scoring game and another victory for Detroit as the Tigers pounce on the shorthanded Mariners.

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