DETROIT — Lloyd McClendon was upset after he was thrown out by umpire Tony Randazzo for the second straight game. At least this time it came in a victory for his Seattle Mariners.
Chris Young pitched six shutout innings and Seattle beat Detroit 8-1 Sunday, winning the weekend series and moving back ahead of the Tigers in the race for the second AL wild-card spot.
McClendon was ejected in the seventh inning of the series finale when Randazzo said the manager made a hand gesture after the third base umpire turned down a check-swing appeal on a 3-2 pitch to Alex Avila.
“They said I raised my hand,” McClendon said. “That’s a new one for me.”
Randazzo said McClendon “took his hand and shooed away my call.”
McClendon also was ejected by Randazzo during Detroit’s 4-2 win on Saturday night for arguing balls and strikes, even though McClendon said it wasn’t him complaining.
“I’ve never had a problem with him before this weekend, so I don’t understand this,” McClendon said. “If there’s a history between us, I’m certainly not aware of it.”
Young (12-6) allowed four hits and walked one while improving to 2-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four career starts against Detroit. The 6-foot-10 right-hander has won each of his last three starts this season and is 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA in his last five games overall.
“With that lineup, you know you are going to get into trouble,” he said. “The key is getting out of it, and I was able to miss bats when I needed to today.”
Tigers rookie Robbie Ray (1-3) struggled while replacing injured right-hander Anibal Sanchez. Ray allowed four runs, three earned, and seven hits in five innings.
“We’re asking Robbie to compete in a pennant race,” Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. “That’s a tall order. It’s not always going to come up roses for a young pitcher in that situation.”
Ray got into trouble in the first inning, when he hurt himself by a balk when he lost focus in mid-delivery and stumbled off the mound without throwing a pitch. He also threw a wild pitch in the third that allowed a run to score, giving Seattle a 3-0 lead.
Rajai Davis created a threat for Detroit with one out in the bottom half, walking and stealing second and third, but Young got out of the jam.
Chris Denorfia’s two-out RBI triple made it 4-0 in the fifth, and the Mariners added three more in the sixth in Jim Johnson’s first appearance with Detroit.
Victor Martinez drove in Detroit’s only run with an eighth-inning double.
UP NEXT
Seattle: The Mariners travel to Philadelphia to open a three-game series with the Phillies on Monday night. Roenis Elias (9-9, 4.14 ERA) is scheduled to start in the opener for Seattle, while Jerome Williams (0-0, 3.38 ERA) will go for Philadelphia.
Detroit: The Tigers have Monday off before going to Tampa for three games. Detroit’s Max Scherzer (14-4, 2.98 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Chris Archer (8-6, 3.24 ERA) in the opener, while David Price is slated to go against his old team on Thursday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Seattle: OF Michael Saunders will get a few more rehab games with Triple-A Tacoma before rejoining the Mariners.
Detroit: RHP Joakim Soria (oblique) was feeling “significantly better” on Saturday, according to Ausmus. Soria is eligible to return from the disabled list on Aug. 25, and will probably make a rehab appearance before that. . Davis left the game with a left thumb contusion.
Umpires: Randazzo was hit in the left foot by a line drive from Detroit’s J.D. Martinez in the fourth inning, but the ball only struck a glancing blow and he stayed in the game.
LETTING DOWN
Ausmus thought the Tigers might have lost some focus after beating Felix Hernandez on Saturday. “Young pitched well, but that wasn’t all Chris Young,” he said. “After the adrenaline high facing a guy like King Felix, we had a few good at-bats today, but we need to have better ones up and down the lineup.”
