SEATTLE — Miguel Cabrera looked like the MVP again on Tuesday night, and he’s getting plenty of help at the top of the Detroit Tigers lineup.
The top three hitters in Detroit’s batting order piled up seven of the Tigers’ 12 hits, and Cabrera, the defending AL MVP, did the most damage in a 6-2 win over the Seattle Mariners. Cabrera drove in Detroit’s first four runs, while leadoff man Austin Jackson and No. 2 hitter Torii Hunter each added an RBI while combining for four hits and three runs.
“We’re just feeding off each other,” Jackson said. “Everybody’s trying to go up and have good at-bats and let the results take care of themselves.”
On a rare off night for Prince Fielder (0-for-5 with four strikeouts), the Tigers didn’t even need his bat. Cabrera sandwiched RBI singles in the first and seventh innings around a two-run homer in the fifth, helping give the Tigers (8-5) a 4-2 lead on the way to their third win in a row.
Detroit starter Doug Fister (3-0) controlled his former team for most of the night to make sure it was more than enough offense. Fister allowed four hits and two runs over seven innings. The Mariners got both of their runs in the fourth inning, with only one hit in 24 at-bats over the other eight innings — the final two against Detroit relievers.
“I felt pretty good,” said Fister, who started his career in Seattle before getting traded to Detroit last July. “I felt like I kept the ball down for the most part. I was able to throw my breaking stuff over.”
While Fielder finally cooled off after hitting in nine consecutive games, the three hitters ahead of him in the Detroit lineup continued to provide plenty of offense. Jackson and Hunter combined for four hits, three runs and two RBI — both of the latter coming on bases-loaded walks in the eighth to account for Detroit’s final two runs.
Jackson, Hunter and Fielder were all among the AL’s top seven hitters going into Tuesday’s game, but Cabrera stole the show against the Mariners. He went 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Cabrera had a two-out, two-run homer in the fifth to give Detroit a 3-2 lead and added a two-out RBI single for an insurance run in the seventh.
“Miguel had a huge night,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.
Cabrera had a chance to do a lot more damage in the eighth but struck out looking with the bases loaded to end that inning.
During their three-game winning streak, the Tigers have scored 23 runs off 36 hits.
Seattle’s Aaron Harang, who was making his first start of the season after being acquired from Colorado in a trade last week, pitched five solid innings but allowed three runs off seven hits and was trailing 3-2 when he was relieved by Charlie Furbush to start the sixth. Harang had the lead until giving up Cabrera’s home run in the top of the fifth.
Harang saw it as a positive return to the mound.
“I was really pleased with how things turned out,” the 12-year veteran said after debuting with his fifth major league team Tuesday night. “I was sharper than I expected I would be. My velocity was there.”
Mariners manager Eric Wedge was pleased with the performance as well.
“I thought Aaron threw the ball well,” Wedge said. “We didn’t want to expand him past where he was. We just weren’t really getting anything going offensively.”
Fister kept Safeco Field relatively quiet for three-plus innings in his second game back as an opposing pitcher. He retired the first 10 batters, helping the Tigers cling to a 1-0 lead before the Mariners got to him in the fourth.
Kyle Seager and Kendrys Morales had back-to-back doubles and Michael Morse followed with an RBI single for a 2-1 lead.
That proved to be the only damage Seattle could do, as the Mariners managed just one hit over the final five innings — with only two balls getting out of the infield.
“We’ve got players here, once they settle in, we’re going to be a pretty good offensive club,” Wedge said. “I believe that. So it’s early and guys are working through some things and we just have to keep playing.”
NOTES: The Mariners called up right-handed reliever Yoervis Medina from Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday, filling a roster spot after reliever Stephen Pryor was placed on the 15-day disabled list one day earlier. Pryor suffered a torn lat muscle in the eighth inning of Sunday’s win over the Texas Rangers. Medina made his major league debut in Tuesday’s game, striking out Cabrera and Fielder during a 1 1/3-inning stint. … Fielder was named the AL Player of the Week after going 12-for-19 (.632) with four doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs in six games. … Seattle got two-thirds of its starting outfield back Tuesday, when Morse (hand) and Franklin Gutierrez (groin) returned after missing games. Starting right fielder Michael Saunders is still on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. … Because both teams had Monday off, the Mariners and Tigers players all wore No. 42 on Tuesday to honor Jackie Robinson.