Detroit Tigers (43-44) at Seattle Mariners (35-52), 4:10 p.m.

By Sports Network | The Sports Network • Published July 06, 2008

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The Seattle Mariners are 17 games out of first place in the AL West, but they have a chance to win a third straight game today against the Detroit Tigers as the two teams wrap up a four-game set.

Detroit will give the ball to Nate Robertson today in hopes that he can better his 6-7 record and 5.56 ERA. He has allowed 129 hits in 100.1 innings to go along with 30 walks, and he is coming off a loss to Minnesota in which he permitted six earned runs in four innings.

Robertson is 1-0 this season against Seattle despite a shaky effort in the game that he won. He is 5-3 lifetime against the Mariners with a 3.92 ERA.

Ryan Rowland-Smith is slated to pitch for Seattle, as he is filling in once again for the injured Felix Hernandez. Rowland-Smith is 2-1 this season with a 3.05 ERA, and he is coming off a no-decision against Toronto on Tuesday in which he lasted only 3.2 innings and didn't look sharp.

On Saturday, Jeff Clement delivered a pair of home runs, including a game- winning, two-run shot in the eighth, as the Mariners downed the Tigers, 3-2, in the third game of the series. Miguel Cairo scored the other run while Miguel Batista (4-10) got the win for pitching two scoreless innings of relief for the Mariners, who have won four of their last five.

R.A. Dickey started on the mound and gave up two runs on four hits with five walks and three strikeouts in six innings of work. Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Guillen each hit solo home runs for the Tigers, who have dropped four of their last five. Fernando Rodney (0-2) was handed the loss and Armando Galarraga gave up one run on five hits in six innings of action.

Detroit has won six of nine from the Mariners this season and nine of 13 in this series dating back to last year.

The Tigers have also won four of their last seven in the Emerald City and 10 of their last 16 there since the start of the 2006 campaign despite losing the first two games of this current series.