Tigers' hot start cooled by Mariners sweep

DETROIT (AP) -- The Detroit Tigers' spectacular start is almost entirely forgotten.
Chone Figgins hit a two-out, tiebreaking double in the seventh inning that was misjudged by right fielder Brennan Boesch, and Seattle completed a three-game sweep of the Tigers with a 5-4 victory Thursday.
Miguel Cabrera hit his sixth home run for the Tigers, who have lost six of seven after a 9-3 start.
"We're not getting big hits late in the game. We're not making some plays, we're not pitching real good, we're not managing good enough, we're not coaching good enough," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "We're all involved in this together, that's just the way it is. You just gotta get aggressive and take charge and get after somebody."
The Tigers also released veteran Brandon Inge after the game.
"It's one of those things you can kind of see how things are going before they come. But it's no hard feelings whatsoever," said Inge, who was hitting .100 with a home run and 2 RBI. "This is my family, this is where I've been my whole career. I'll miss the guys, I will. But I have a chance to go play maybe somewhere else."
Detroit also called up first baseman Brad Eldred from Triple-A Toledo
"We had some discussions today and we just feel at this point we're trying to add some offense," Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "Eldred's been hot as can be. And it's a situation where we're going to try to make a move to get him on the ballclub and see if he can give us a little offense, primarily from the DH position."
Eldred was hitting .388 in Toledo with 13 home runs and 35 RBI in just 20 games.
Detroit is responsible for the $4,808,743 remaining of Inge's $5.5 million salary this year and the $500,000 buyout of his $6 million option for 2013, a total of $5,308,743. But the Tigers could save up to $417,049 back if he were to sign with another team Friday.
Justin Smoak hit a three-run homer and Miguel Olivo also connected for the Mariners.
"They came back and we were able to counter punch," Smoak said. "That's what you've got to do."
Figgins' drive to right-center scored Brendan Ryan, who reached on a two-out walk from Rick Porcello (1-2).
Porcello gave up five runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings.
"He hung a changeup to Smoak early in the game and after that I thought he pitched pretty well," Leyland said of Porcello. "He hung a slider to Olivo with the add-on run, with the home run. But I thought he settled and pitched pretty well."
Former-Tiger Charlie Furbush (1-1) pitched a perfect inning.
"A little different. It was fun though. Being in this ballpark after being up here for a while last year, I had some familiarity," said Furbush, who went to Seattle in the deal that brought Doug Fister to Detroit last season. "I know the guys and know some of their tendencies as hitters. Kind of felt a little at home."
Brandon League induced Alex Avila's double-play grounder to escape a first-and-second, one-out jam in the ninth and get his seventh save in eight chances.
Mariners starter Hector Noesi, acquired from the Yankees along with Jesus Montero in the deal that sent Michael Pineda to New York, allowed four runs and five hits in five-plus innings.
Noesi held the Tigers hitless for the first 4 1-3 innings, allowing only Delmon Young's one-out walk in the second before Don Kelly's single.
Seattle took an early lead, as it did in the first two games of the series. Smoak broke an 0-for-16 skid with a three-run homer in the first on a 2-2 pitch. The drive, estimated at 390 feet, landed deep in the right-field stands for Smoak's third home run.
Olivo homered in the fourth, his first since Sept. 9.
Ryan Raburn singled in a run in the fifth, his first RBI this year. But with runners at the corners, Gerald Laird grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Andy Dirks tripled leading off the sixth, Boesch singled and Cabrera tied it with a two-run homer that chased Noesi. Furbush retired the next three batters.
Detroit put runners at the corners with one out in the seventh before Dirks and Boesch grounded out against Lucas Luetge.
NOTES: Seattle also swept Detroit in a three-game series at Comerica Park last April 26-28. ... Laird was called out by first-base umpire Mike DiMuro on a slow roller to second base with one out in the third. Laird and Tigers manager Jim Leyland, who sprinted across the diamond, both argued the call. Replays showed Laird beat the throw. ... Detroit recalled RHP Brayan Villarreal from Triple-A Toledo and selected the contract RHP Luke Putkonen from the same team. The Tigers also optioned RHP Thad Weber to Toledo. ... Dirks returned after missing eight games with tightness in his left hamstring. ... Seattle heads to Toronto for a three-game series. The Mariners' Blake Beavan (1-2) will face Toronto's Ricky Romero (3-0) on Friday. Detroit travels to New York for a three-game series with the Yankees. AL Cy Young Award winner and MVP Justin Verlander (2-1) pitches against Ivan Nova (3-0)