SEATTLE — Robinson Cano hit a grand slam and a two-run homer, Andrew Moore pitched seven effective innings to win in his big league debut, and the Seattle Mariners held off the Detroit Tigers 9-6 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory.
Cano’s seventh-inning grand slam off Francisco Rodriguez, his 13th homer, put the Mariners up 9-3. His two-run shot off Daniel Norris (4-5) in the third staked Moore to a 5-1 lead.
Moore (1-0), a surprise call-up Wednesday from Triple-A Tacoma, allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings. The 23-year-old right-hander, a second-round pick in 2015 out of Oregon State, struck out four and walked none. He began the season in Double-A, then went 3-1 in eight starts at Tacoma.
The Mariners moved above .500 for the first time this season at 38-37.
Detroit got within three runs at 9-6 in the eighth with four consecutive two-out hits against Max Povse, also making his debut. Povse, called up from Double A on Sunday, allowed a two-run homer to Miguel Cabrera and an RBI single to Justin Upton. Tony Zych got the final out of the eighth and Steve Cishek pitched a perfect ninth for his first save.
Norris allowed five runs on five hits in six innings as the Tigers lost their season-high sixth straight.
The Mariners capitalized on Norris’ lack of command for three runs in the second. Nelson Cruz drew a leadoff walk and Danny Valencia worked a one-out walk. Ben Gamel followed with a two-run double to right-center, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. Guillermo Heredia then singled in Gamel.
Ian Kinsler got a run back for Detroit with two outs in the third with his eighth homer.
Mitch Haniger singled with one out in the bottom half and Cano then lined a 2-1 pitch over the wall in center.
The Tigers pulled within 5-3 in the fifth on an RBI groundout by Jose Iglesias and a run-scoring single by Kinsler.
MARINERS MOVES:
RHP Tyler Cloyd, designated for assignment Wednesday, was optioned to Tacoma after clearing waivers. Cloyd pitched one inning for Seattle after being called up June 2, picking up a victory. He appeared in five games earlier with Tacoma after beginning the season in the independent Atlantic League.
UP NEXT:
Mariners: Felix Hernandez (2-2, 4.73) is expected to be activated from the DL (right shoulder inflammation) and start the series opener against Houston. The ace right-hander was 2-0 with 4.15 ERA in three rehab starts at Tacoma.
TRAINER’S ROOM:
Tigers: DH Victor Martinez, on the 10-day DL (irregular heartbeat), began light activity Wednesday sooner than anticipated. “They cleared him yesterday to do light, very light, cardio,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “He did 10 minutes on the elliptical and then he hit off a tee.”
