Three weeks ago, it would have been hard to find a more popular guy in the Seattle clubhouse than Jarrod Washburn, who's now standing between the Mariners and their 63rd victory of the year.

Ichiro nodded before stepping into the box, then extended his hitting streak to 11 consecutive games with a double.
On the bench watching his first game in a Sattle uniform is Bill Hall, who's getting to see Don Wakamatsu baseball.

Ichiro doubled? Franklin Gutierrez bunted him over to third base - and the Tigers infield played in. Think they're expecting a low-scoring game?

It's Washburn vs. Ryan Rowland-Smith on getaway day in Detroit - always the best day of any series here.

Washburn hit Lopez with an inside fastbvall, and DH Mike Sweeney, the professional hitter, hit sacrifice fly to put Seattle ahead.

In the first: Mariners 1, Tigers 0

Frightening moment

It's raining hard in Detroit, but two outs in the Tigers first inning, Ryan Raburn hit a one-hopper off the right calf of Rowland-Smith.

Rowland-Smith, who's built like a tank and is about as tough as one, didn't go down. And after consulting with the trainer, he got the third out without a problem.

Still, something to watch as it inevitably stiffens up.

Two outs, who cares?

A two-out walk to Gutierrez set up a Mariners 'rally' - the 16th home run of the year by Jose Lopez.

That's two hits for Seatle, and three runs.

In the third: Mariners 3, Tigers 0

They all count

Catcher Kenjji Johjima, who occasionally had his issues with Washburn, hit a lazy fly ball down the left field line that just carried beyond he 345-foot mark - home run.

It wasn't crushed, but it counted just the same.

Home run No. 6 for Joh.

In the fourth: Mariners 4, Tigers 0

Tigers charge back

Detroit's lineup is full of bruisers, and they were swinging free in the fourth inning.

Raburn homered, Miguel Cabrera hit a ball 400 feet - but Gutierrez caught it - and Brandon Inge hit a solo home run.

Balls are flying, kids. Stay alert!

After four: Mariners 4, Tigers 2

The elements are in play

The rain has stopped but the wind has not, and Sweeney broke his bat on a ball that cleared the fence in left field - his fifth home run.

Russell Branyan then hit one that only a Category 5 hurricane could have stopped. Estimated at 425 feet, it was well up into the stands beyond right field, his 28th of the season.

In the sixth: Mariners 6, Tigers 2

Bring on the tarp

The rain hath returned and it is angry, my friend.

Rowland-Smith gave up a double and two walks, manager Don Wakamatsu pulled him in favor of Chris Jakubauskas - but before he could throw a warmup pitch, the umps called in the tarp.

We are in delay mode. On getaway day in Detroit. Yes, Virginia, there is a hell.

Take off the tarp!

The grounds crew here is surrounding the thing and staring at it. This may take awhile, but in theory, the game will restart again in 20 minutes or so.

A reminder: Tigers up, bottom of the sixth inning, one out and the bases loaded.

When we left you last, Jakubauskas had taken the mound in relief, but had not even warmed up when the delay was called.

That was at 2:38 p.m. (EDT). It's now 3:10 p.m. (EDT), and the crew is actually playing with the tarp. They are on pace to remove the tarp in about two days.

Tigers charge II

Jim Leyland is no fool. Given the bases-loaded, one out situation, he went for the big inning.

Pinch hitter Aubrey Huff, batting for Gerald Laird, grounded out, scoring one Tigers run. Pinch hitter Alex Avila, batting for Adam Everett, singled up the middle for two more runs.

It's now a one-run game and the Seattle bullpen needs nine more outs.

After six: Mariners 6, Tigers 5

Mr. Kelley meets the Tigers

Shawn Kelley in relief: sharp fastall, nasay slider. Three outs.

It's still a one-run game. The Mariners bullpen needs six more outs. Do they to Mark Lowe for the third game in a row in the eighth? We'll see.

In the eighth: Mariners 6, Tigers 5

Mr. Kelley II

Lowe is down, so Kelley came back for the eighth. Nursing that slim lead, he gave up a pair of singles, then a long fly ball that Gutierrez ran down with a leaping catch.

Placido Polanco blooped a ball toward left field that appeared to be a game-tying hit, but shortstop Josh-not-Jack Wilson speared it with a remarkable over the shoulder catch.

One run lead, three outs needed by the bullpen. Figure Aardsma in the ninth.

And in the ninth

'Twas Aardsma, all right.

Leyland sent pinch hitter Carlos Guillen up to hit for Marcus Thames. Aardsma jumped ahead in the count, 1-2, then lost him and walked Guillen.

Raburn fouled out. Cabrera doubled, Guillen stopping at third base. Magglio Ordonez was intentionally walked to set up a double play, loading the bases.

Brandon Inge flied out, with Guillen beating the Gutierrez throw home by bowling over Johjima to tie the game.

Gutierrez was charged with an error on a great throw, because both runners advanced when it got away from Johjima.

Clete Thomas singled, pushing home the winning run.

It's a final: Tigers 7, Mariners 6

Bill Hall arrived, left-hander Garrett Olson headed for Tacoma and the Seattle Mariners clubhouse was as loud and happy as ever.

"Stay away from Junior," manager Don Wakamatsu told his newest player.

Too late.

"We talked on the bus this morning. I wanted to be like Ken Griffey Jr.," Hall said. "He was The Kid, I wanted to be like that."

After hitting 35 home runs in 2006, Hall was on his way - a right-handed hitter capable of playing shortstop, third base or center field.

What happened? He signed a huge multi-year contract with Milwaukee, and suddenly he had something to live up to that was beyond anything he'd ever dealt with.

"I wanted to improve every season I played, but after I hit 35 home runs, I put a lot of pressure on myself," said Hall, obtained in a trade Wednesday. "Nobody likes not to succeed. I tried to hit 10 home runs a game.

"Coming to Seattle, where we're six games out of the wild card race, that's a new chapter for me. I want to play like a kid again. That's what I used to do, that's what I want to get back to."

Hall wasn't in the lineup Thursday but was told by Wakamatsu that he'd get at least one start in Cleveland against a left-handed pitcher.

"A lot depends on his bat," Wakamatsu said. "We want to let (hitting coach) Alan Cockrell get his hands on him, we want to see him play. The good news is, he's had success before. You know it's in there, because he's done it.

"We'll do what we've done with a lot of players this year, change their mental approach. With Hall, we'll talk about pitch selection, about getting in position to hit."

As for Olson, he'll report to Tacoma, where the Rainiers will try to work him into their rotation.

"We'd like him to start, get stretched out and come back to us in September," Wakamatsu said.