Hisashi Iwakuma (12-7, 3.99 ERA) and the Seattle Mariners (57-53) go up against Michael Fulmer (9-2, 2.42 ERA) and the Detroit Tigers (61-50) in the first of a three-game series at Safeco Field. The game starts at 10:10 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 8 and will air on FSDT and RTNW.
In his most recent outing, Iwakuma pitched 7.1 innings, allowing zero runs and striking out seven in a 3-1 victory over the Red Sox. Nelson Cruz (.276, 61 Rs, 27 HRs, 70 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one RBI. The Tigers were also victorious the last time Fulmer pitched. He had a good outing, pitching 6.2 innings, allowing one run, striking out four and walking one in a 2-1 victory over the White Sox. J.D. Martinez (.299, 40 Rs, 13 HRs, 40 RBIs, 1 SB) has been doing well, going 2 for 4 yesterday.
Seattle is a slight underdog (-102) and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at eight runs. The Mariners are 26-24 as the underdog and have an overall money line of -143. The Mariners are a power hitting team with 156 home runs, one of the highest totals in the MLB. Transitioning to the pitching staff, an area where the Mariners are particularly strong at home is striking batters out, where they average 8.8 K’s per home game.
Moving on to the opposing team, the Tigers come into this game with a solid win percentage of .721 when playing as the favorite (31-12) and an overall money line of +1,601. Over the past 10 matchups, the team is 8-2 SU and has played well as the favorite with a 5-1 record. Detroit’s pitching staff has allowed an average of 3.4 runs per game during the last 10 games, lower than their season average of 4.6.
So far this season, the Tigers are 4-0 against the Mariners. This game will feature Fulmer (RHP) on the mound against the Mariners, who have a 41-29 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Iwakuma will take the mound against the Tigers, who have a 45-34 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – SEA, O/U – Over
Notes
The Mariners are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Tigers have a 21-30 record when opponents give up two walks or less.
When they are outhit, the Tigers are 10-35. The Mariners have a 12-37 record when opponents outhit them.
Detroit ranks in the top 10 of the league at seventh when it comes to home runs, hitting 145 this season. Seattle ranks in the top five with 156.
Ranking ninth, Seattle is in the top 10 of the league in hits, notching 8.80 per game. Detroit ranks in the top five at second with 9.23.
Seattle and Detroit both rank in the top 10 of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Seattle sits at eighth with an OPS of .761, and Detroit ranks sixth with an OPS of .771.
The Tigers are 32-35 when they allow at least one home run. The Mariners perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 38-43 record.
