The Detroit Tigers had another one of “those” nights on Friday, losing a 5-4 contest to the Seattle Mariners after coughing up a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning. Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire used three different relievers after starter Michael Fulmer faltered, but none could get the job done before Detroit’s lead was gone. Meanwhile, setup man Joe Jimenez and closer Shane Greene, the two best relievers on the roster by several metrics, watched from the sidelines.
First, let’s lay down the specifics of this situation. Fulmer started the inning by walking Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager.