The Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers conclude their four-game set and season series with an afternoon tilt on Thursday. Runs have been easy to come by for both clubs in the season series with the Tigers outscoring the M’s 37-31 and the over at 4-1 in five games.
ODDS ANALYSIS
There’s something magical about the Detroit Tigers – they can turn the Mariners into an offensive powerhouse. Seattle ranks next to last in the American League in runs scored, however their runs per game increases by nearly three when they play Detroit. The M’s matched a season-high in runs during Tuesday’s 11-9 win and scored 6.2 runs in the first five games of the season series. The Tigers have been just as potent in the season series, scoring 7.4 runs in the five games while winning three times and going up 1.55 units on the moneyline. The Tigers are accustomed to playing above the scoreline. The over is 12-2 in their last 14 home games and 24-4 over their last 28 overall. The teams cashed the over in four of the five series games this season.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Hisashi Iwakuma (2-1, 4.89 ERA) fanned five in 5.2 innings as he defeated the Yankees 4-3 in New York on Saturday. After missing 10 weeks with a strained lat muscle, Iwakuma gave up four homers in five innings in a no-decision against the Tigers on July 6. But in two starts since he’s 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA with wins over the Angels and Yankees and appears to be getting stronger, which is a good sign for him and the M’s.
Despite his clunker against the Tigers two weeks ago, Iwakuma is 1-1 with a 3.54 ERA in five career appearances (four starts) against them.
David Price (9-3, 2.32 ERA) allowed only one run over seven innings and matched a season-high with 12 strikeouts Saturday against Baltimore, but he took his first loss since May 31 with a 3-0 verdict. He’s lasted at least six innings in all but one start since April and sports a 0.82 ERA over his last three starts with 27 strikeouts and five walks over 22 innings.
Price owns a 2.53 ERA and 0.81 WHIP with 36 Ks over 32 innings in four lifetime starts against the M’s. He’ll face them for the first time this season in what could be his final home start for the Tigers.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“Nellie is no different than most hitters in baseball. You’re going to have streaks where you’re a little off. But I think the thing that is unique about Nellie, even when he’s in those funks he’s still able to get a hit here or there.” – Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon on Nelson Cruz.
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
It seems to be the story of the Mariners’ season. Fix one problem and another pops up. Robinson Cano was finally heating up, but Nelson Cruz started tailing off in the power department. Getting those two stars aligned at the same time is crucial for the M’s chances of a second half rally. Cano has hit seven home runs in his past 24 games after totaling just two in his first 67 games. His hot July continued Tuesday with three hits in four at-bats and he’s batting .352 in 17 games this month to raise his average to .260. Cruz has been going in the other direction with just four homers and 16 RBIs over his last 48 games after clubbing 18 homers with 38 RBIs in his first 46. Cruz broke out in a big way Tuesday with a third inning homer that travelled an estimated 455 feet. We finally got a glimpse of what the M’s could be with their two stars contributing.
PROP TALK
Yoenis Céspedes may be auditioning for another club as rumors swirl about his imminent trade. The scouts will like what they see from him in this one. Céspedes has hit three of his 14 home runs this season in five games against Seattle and has had great success against Hisashi Iwakuma. Céspedes homered off the M’s lefty when the clubs met earlier this month in Seattle and has four career homers while hitting .407 (11 for 27) with a 1.444 OPS and seven RBIs off him.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Seattle will be facing Tigers’ ace David Price for the first time this season, and that’s probably why the M’s have scored as much as they have in the series. Don’t look for the offensive fireworks we’ve seen between these clubs with Price and Iwakuma tossing. The aces have been on their game over their past few starts and as the old baseball adage goes, good pitching stops good hitting. The M’s can’t even be considered good after what they’ve done this season. Their bats have been silenced by much worse, including New York’s C.C. Sabathia just the other day.
Detroit 4, Seattle 2
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers is scheduled for Thursday, July 23, 2015, at 1:08 p.m. ET at Comerica Park. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
