MLB Game Preview - Detroit at Seattle

Sat Jul 27, 2019 4:10 PM EDT

Before the Detroit Tigers opened their series in Seattle on Thursday night, third baseman Jeimer Candelario was fielding balls at first base.

What gives?

The Tigers hope to bring third baseman Dawel Lugo back from Triple-A Toledo, so they are exploring the possibility of moving Candelario across the diamond.

"I feel comfortable with whatever I have to do. It's almost the same thing," Candelario told MLB.com. "It's just the glove. The glove is bigger and I've got to get used to it. But it's almost the same thing. You're just not throwing to first. You've just got to toss it or walk it back to the base."

Candelario played in 35 games at first while part of the Chicago Cubs' organization, so it isn't something completely new.

Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire watched Candelario's workout from the first base coach's box.

"I'd play him tomorrow if I'd want to," Gardenhire said. "I went and took the throws with him. I acted like a pitcher covering first for him. He didn't make me blow a hamstring out. ... We just want to make sure on the fine points. Keep your eye on the bag, ball and take the ball to the pitcher."

The Tigers can use all the bats they can get in the lineup. They have lost the first two games of the series to the Mariners, scoring two runs in each.

Seattle's 3-2 victory Friday, on Mallex Smith's run-scoring single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, improved the Mariners' record to 2-39 this season when scoring three or fewer runs. They had lost 39 in a row in those situations since a 2-1 victory against the Los Angeles Angels on April 2.

"We don't win many 3-2 games," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "I can't remember the last time we won a 3-2. It was nice to see all the guys up at the (dugout) rail really pulling for each other."

Smith said he just tried to keep things simple before lining a 3-2 pitch from Tigers right-hander Jose Cisnero into right field for the winning hit.

"I wanted to hit a homer," Smith told the Seattle Times. "But with age comes knowledge. And I had a smarter plan and a smarter approach.

"I've had chances before and I just told myself, 'Don't try to be more than who you are, we don't need a homer, we don't need a double, we just need a hit.' I just tried to keep it as simple as possible."

The Mariners, who have won three in a row for the first time since June 19-21, will send their ace, left-hander Marco Gonzales (11-8, 4.37 ERA), to the mound Saturday afternoon against Tigers lefty Tyler Alexander (0-0, 2.25).

Gonzales, who has won six of his past eight starts, is 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA in two career starts against Detroit, both last year.

Alexander, who will be making his third major league start, has never faced the Mariners. He allowed one run on three hits in seven innings during his latest start, Sunday against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.

--Field Level Media