--RHP R.A. Dickey, told Wednesday afternoon he was being called up, took a redeye from the West Coast and arrived in time to pitch two innings in the Mariners' 9-2 loss to Detroit. This is the 33-year-old's second time up this year. He will serve as the team's long reliever now that RHP Cha Seung Baek has been designated for assignment.
--RHP Miguel Batista was knocked out of Thursday's start against the Tigers after three innings after throwing 72 pitches and recording just nine outs while allowing five runs (four earned). For all of that, he took some positives out of the start. "It's hard to explain to you," he said. "But I felt I made a bunch of good pitches. My command of my pitches was better. When I've struggled in the past this year, it's been my command."
Batista is 0-3 in four starts with a 7.27 ERA in Comerica Park. It's one of four AL parks in which he's never had a win.
--C Kenji Johjima begged to differ with the plate umpire, who ruled that Johjima didn't tag sliding Tigers DH Gary Sheffield in the first inning. Johjima caught 2B Jose Lopez's relay throw from RF Wladimir Balentien and thought he got the tag down, but the umpire said no and allowed the first Detroit run to score. "I touched him," Johjima said of Sheffield.
--CF Ichiro Suzuki's hitting streak reached six games. During this stretch he's 10-for-20 to get his overall average for the month of May to .359. He's a career .370 hitter in May, his best overall month as a big-leaguer.
BY THE NUMBERS: 2.10. The composite ERA of the Seattle bullpen in May through Sunday (14 ER in 60 innings).
QUOTE TO NOTE: "You try to make out the lineup so that the other manager will have decisions to make. But when four or five guys are struggling, it's hard to do that." - manager John McLaren.
