Mariners-Tigers rained out, set for Saturday doubleheader
DETROIT (AP) Robinson Cano has to wait a little longer to face his buddy Jeimer Candelario.
Cano is 11 years older than Candelario, but live near each other in the Dominican Republic, and Cano says they talk all the time. Cano's Seattle Mariners were scheduled to play Candelario's Detroit Tigers on Friday night, but the game was rained out. A doubleheader was scheduled for Saturday.
The 35-year-old Cano has been a star second baseman at the major league level for a while. The 24-year-old Candelario is an up-and-coming third baseman for the Tigers.
''He works really hard,'' Cano said. ''He can hit, and him getting a chance to play every day, I know he can play. I'm glad at what he's doing.''
Cano said he first saw the younger player when Candelario was maybe 12 years old.
''It was a long time ago, yeah, but he's good, man. I'm happy that he gets a chance,'' Cano said. ''For him to get a chance, I tell him, `You've got to take advantage. They're giving you this opportunity. Now take advantage. Never get that in Chicago, you're getting it here, so just go out and work hard.'''
Candelario was traded from the Cubs to the Tigers last season. He hasn't faced Cano and the Mariners in a major league game.
''One of my friends, and like a brother,'' Candelario said. ''We have good relationship.''
Friday's game was called without a single pitch being thrown - about 40 minutes after the scheduled start time. Both teams are simply pushing their Friday starters to the first game Saturday, when Marco Gonzales (3-2) of the Mariners faces Matthew Boyd (1-3) in a matchup of lefties.
Felix Hernandez (4-3) is the scheduled starter for the second game against Detroit's Michael Fulmer (1-2). Saturday's twin bill is scheduled to start at 4:10 p.m., with the second game beginning about 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first.
Bad weather has been a problem for the Tigers this year. They've already played three doubleheaders, two of which were at home, and they have another one scheduled against the New York Yankees in early June.
This was to be Detroit's first home game after seven straight on the road, but it was obvious all afternoon that it might be postponed.
''It's tough. You come home and have a day off yesterday, and you'd like to get on the field and work out, but we couldn't do that today so we're in the cages,'' Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said.
The Mariners are without manager Scott Servais, who left the team to watch his daughter receive a master's degree at Mississippi. He's expected back Sunday, but in the meantime, bench coach Manny Acta is filling in, and the plan is for Ichiro Suzuki to serve as his bench coach.
The Mariners announced earlier this month that Suzuki was shifting into a front office role .
''I'm honored to have a guy like Ichiro to be my bench coach. It's a luxury. It's another little history that I can tell my grandkids down the road,'' Acta said. ''He's moving fast in the game, huh?''
NOTES: The Tigers optioned RHP Johnny Barbato to Triple-A Toledo. ... Gardenhire said slugger Miguel Cabrera, on the DL with a right hamstring strain, is progressing. ''They've got him on some kind of machine they're going to run him on a little bit, walk him on,'' Gardenhire said. ''They're doing all the rubdowns and now we just go day to day.''
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