Tigers’ Upton latest to pounce on Mariners’ bullpen

DETROIT — The problem this year for the Mariners’ bullpen has been the long ball.

It happened again Monday night in an 8-7 loss to Detroit when Vidal Nuno served up a walk-off homer to Justin Upton on the 12th inning at Comerica Park in a game the Mariners had numerous chances to win.

Upton drove a 2-2 change-up to left field for his second homer of the game. Earlier, he had a two-run blast against reliever Nick Vincent in the seventh inning that erased a Mariners lead.

Those were the 27th and 28th homers allowed this year by the Mariners’ bullpen.

“I got in my count,” Nuno said. “It was just a little bit up. And he smacked it. It was the pitch that was working all day. I guess he was sitting change-up. Or off-speed. He smacked it.”

It was a no-doubter. Nuno (0-1) had worked two scoreless innings before surrendering Upton’s game-winner. Vincent blew his fifth lead of the season.

So the June swoon continues.

The Mariners are 6-13 this month and now trail first-place Texas by 9 1/2 games in the American League West Division. As recently as the morning of June 3, they were tied with Texas for the division lead.

Houston is 1 1/2 games behind the Mariners.

Despite Upton’s homers against Nuno and Vincent, the bullpen did eat six-plus innings after another disappointing outing from starter Nathan Karns.

And while the Mariners squandered numerous scoring opportunities while going 4-for-16 with runners in scoring position and stranding 11 runners, the lineup scored seven runs and collected a season-high 19 hits.

It just wasn’t enough.

“It does start with starting pitching,” manager Scott Servais said. “We’ve talked about that all along. It was a struggle for Nate tonight to get much going. Location wasn’t great. Sequences weren’t great.

“We were fortunate to get through five innings with him.”

Karns didn’t disagree after laboring through 100 pitches and giving up five runs in his five innings.

“I just need to protect the lead,” he said. “When we get a lead like that, I need to have clean innings. For some reason, that just seems to be outside of my reach.”

Karns gave up a two-run missile to Miguel Cabrera in the first inning on a pitch that “missed my spot by about 4 feet. Right into his power alley. He did what he’s supposed to do with that.”

But the Mariners answered with a four-run second inning against Detroit right-hander Mike Pelfrey, who was even less effective than Karns.

Pelfrey allowed six runs and 12 hits in five innings despite benefiting from three inning-ending double plays. He gave up homers to Kyle Seager and Adam Lind.

Seager’s blast came while leading off the second inning after a Cabrera homer in the first staked Pelfrey to a 2-0 lead. Lind had a two-run shot in the fifth after the Tigers took the lead in the fourth.

The Mariners had better chances in extra innings after opening the 11th and 12th with doubles.

Lind started the 12th with a double to right against demoted starter Anibal Sanchez, the sixth Tigers pitcher. Lind moved to third on Chris Iannetta’s sacrifice bunt.

The Tigers shortened their infield for Franklin Gutierrez, who grounded out to short. Lind had to hold. Sanchez escaped when Ketel Marte lined out to third.

Upton’s homer turned Sanchez (4-7) into the winner.

The Mariners also missed a chance in the 11th inning after Shawn O’Malley led off with a double into the right-field corner against Alex Wilson, which prompted an intentional walk to Robinson Cano.

Nelson Cruz grounded into a double play that moved O’Malley to third for Kyle Seager, who grounded out to second. Cruz also grounded into a double play in the first inning and left six runners on base.

“It’s is what it is,” Cruz said. “I’ve been struggling lately, especially with runners on. I just have to get to get it done. That’s my responsibility, to drive those guys in. That’s my job.”