Detroit — A starting pitcher? Optional. Especially when your hitters are knocking baseballs around the park.
The Tigers filled injured starter Spencer Turnbull’s spot in the rotation with a convoy of relievers Thursday and cushioned any potential fallout from that with three home runs, taking the game and the series from the Mariners, 8-3, before a matinee crowd of 9,290 at Comerica Park.
Jonathan Schoop, Jake Rogers and Robbie Grossman all went deep for the Tigers, easing the burden on the six relief pitchers who covered the nine innings.
Lefty Tyler Alexander started and yielded only a solo home run to Mariners slugger Mitch Haniger — the first of two homers for him.