Rick Porcello (0-1, 7.20) vs. Carlos Silva (0-1, 6.00), 4:10 p.m. EST
The Detroit Tigers have a chance to win their second series of the young season with today's rubber game against the Mariners. (The Mariners, on the other hand, haven't lost a series yet this year.) If this one goes like the first two games in Seattle, it should be a funday, Sunday evening.
After his second start of the season was rained out, Rick Porcello gets a chance to pitch under better conditions than he would've last Tuesday in Detroit. Safeco Field might provide a more pitcher-friendly setting than Rogers Centre, as well. Porcello tired out after the fourth inning in his first appearance, but up until that point, he got the Blue Jays to hit into many groundball outs. How will that work against the Mariners' new small ball approach?
Last year, the Tigers pounded Carlos Silva like a veal cutlet. In three starts against them, Silva posted a 17.69 ERA. (Do I need to mention he went 0-3? I guess I just did.) He gave up five runs or more in each appearance, and in one of those games, didn't even make it out of the first inning. As Geoff Baker points out on his blog, Silva has relied primarily on his fastball in his first two starts this year. And if that's how he pitches today, The Tigers could make it ugly.