Shocked. Confused. Unwanted.

That would sum up how Doug Fister felt after hearing the news last Saturday that the Seattle Mariners had traded him to the Detroit Tigers.

The trade hit him like a punch to the gut. But his recovery has been quick, helped by a victory in his first start for Detroit. Nothing like a win to help you fit in.

“I was pretty surprised,” said Fister, a standout at Golden Valley High School and Merced College. “I started getting phone calls early in the morning. I wasn’t sure it was true. I didn’t know what to think. Once the initial shock wore off — when I felt this could be real — I got nervous. I had never been through this before.”

Fister was leaving Seattle. In a move to bolster their pitching staff for a playoff push, the AL Central-leading Tigers traded infielder Francisco Martinez, outfielder Casper Wells, pitcher Charlie Furbush and a player to be named later to Seattle for Fister and reliever David Pauley.

Fister awoke that Saturday morning to text messages and voicemails from friends, family and teammates.

His biggest question was simple: Why?

“I called him early that morning after I had heard the news,” said his father, Larry. “He didn’t even know if he was traded yet. It’s almost like, ‘If you like me so much, why are you getting rid of me?’ It’s the ‘Why me?’ syndrome. Why did I make you mad?

“It took a couple hours for him to realize … what Detroit gave up (to get him).”

Fister eventually met with Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik, manager Eric Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis on Saturday morning. That’s when Fister learned the Mariners weren’t hpy to see him leave.

“It wasn’t that they didn’t want me, or that I didn’t meet their standards,” Fister said. “It’s a business. There are offers on the table. At this point in my career, and at this point in their organization, it was best for me to go to Detroit.

“Once I left the clubhouse and said my good-byes, it started to set in that this was a good opportunity for me. It was humbling that Detroit wanted me.”

Saying goodbye was the toughest part. Fister grew up in the M’s organization. He was drafted by Seattle in 2006. He worked his way up through the team’s minor-league system and he’s grown roots in Seattle since making his major league debut in 2009.

Now he was leaving.

Fister quickly packed all the stuff in his Seattle artment and shipped it home to Merced.

On Monday, he flew to Detroit with Pauley and made their way to the ballpark to meet their new teammates.

“As we’re a couple steps away from the clubhouse, I had that feeling of that unknown,” Fister said. “My nerves were setting in because I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know anybody else. I felt like that new guy. It was like being a rookie again, but as soon as we walked through the door a couple guys came over and shook our hands. As guys came in the clubhouse, we got some hugs and welcome wishes.”

Fister then made his first start for the Tigers on Wednesday, pitching seven innings and giving up two earned runs in a 5-4 win over the Texas Rangers.

“The anticipation level was high,” he said. “I was pitching in a different uniform for the first time, but I had pitched in the stadium before. I knew what the mound felt like.

“I had family there. My parents and sister were there, so I had some friendly eyes in the stadium. It was different surrounding, but I just tried to stay with my same routine. Luckily everything worked out.”

Fister improved his record to 4-12, which looks awfully odd with his 3.29 ERA.

It’s a record that could improve if he continues to pitch like he did in Seattle now that he has an offense that can give him some runs. The Mariners scored less than two runs per game when Fister pitched this season.

Suddenly he finds himself on a team with a shot at making the playoffs.

“The pennant race adds another dimension to the game,” Fister said. “In Seattle, everyone played with a fire, they were driven, but Detroit is in the thick of things. It brings a heightened competitive level. Everyone is locked in on every pitch.”

That’s why Fister could be a perfect fit.

Shocked. Confused. Unwanted.

That would sum up how Doug Fister felt after hearing the news last Saturday that the Seattle Mariners had traded him to the Detroit Tigers.

The trade hit him like a punch to the gut. But his recovery has been quick, helped by a victory in his first start for Detroit. Nothing like a win to help you fit in.

“I was pretty surprised,” said Fister, a standout at Golden Valley High School and Merced College. “I started getting phone calls early in the morning. I wasn’t sure it was true. I didn’t know what to think. Once the initial shock wore off — when I felt this could be real — I got nervous. I had never been through this before.”

Fister was leaving Seattle. In a move to bolster their pitching staff for a playoff push, the AL Central-leading Tigers traded infielder Francisco Martinez, outfielder Casper Wells, pitcher Charlie Furbush and a player to be named later to Seattle for Fister and reliever David Pauley.

Fister awoke that Saturday morning to text messages and voicemails from friends, family and teammates.

His biggest question was simple: Why?

“I called him early that morning after I had heard the news,” said his father, Larry. “He didn’t even know if he was traded yet. It’s almost like, ‘If you like me so much, why are you getting rid of me?’ It’s the ‘Why me?’ syndrome. Why did I make you mad?

“It took a couple hours for him to realize … what Detroit gave up (to get him).”

Fister eventually met with Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik, manager Eric Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis on Saturday morning. That’s when Fister learned the Mariners weren’t hpy to see him leave.

“It wasn’t that they didn’t want me, or that I didn’t meet their standards,” Fister said. “It’s a business. There are offers on the table. At this point in my career, and at this point in their organization, it was best for me to go to Detroit.

“Once I left the clubhouse and said my good-byes, it started to set in that this was a good opportunity for me. It was humbling that Detroit wanted me.”

Saying goodbye was the toughest part. Fister grew up in the M’s organization. He was drafted by Seattle in 2006. He worked his way up through the team’s minor-league system and he’s grown roots in Seattle since making his major league debut in 2009.

Now he was leaving.

Fister quickly packed all the stuff in his Seattle artment and shipped it home to Merced.

On Monday, he flew to Detroit with Pauley and made their way to the ballpark to meet their new teammates.

“As we’re a couple steps away from the clubhouse, I had that feeling of that unknown,” Fister said. “My nerves were setting in because I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know anybody else. I felt like that new guy. It was like being a rookie again, but as soon as we walked through the door a couple guys came over and shook our hands. As guys came in the clubhouse, we got some hugs and welcome wishes.”

Fister then made his first start for the Tigers on Wednesday, pitching seven innings and giving up two earned runs in a 5-4 win over the Texas Rangers.

“The anticipation level was high,” he said. “I was pitching in a different uniform for the first time, but I had pitched in the stadium before. I knew what the mound felt like.

“I had family there. My parents and sister were there, so I had some friendly eyes in the stadium. It was different surrounding, but I just tried to stay with my same routine. Luckily everything worked out.”

Fister improved his record to 4-12, which looks awfully odd with his 3.29 ERA.

It’s a record that could improve if he continues to pitch like he did in Seattle now that he has an offense that can give him some runs. The Mariners scored less than two runs per game when Fister pitched this season.

Suddenly he finds himself on a team with a shot at making the playoffs.

“The pennant race adds another dimension to the game,” Fister said. “In Seattle, everyone played with a fire, they were driven, but Detroit is in the thick of things. It brings a heightened competitive level. Everyone is locked in on every pitch.”

That’s why Fister could be a perfect fit.

SEATTLE – No matter how well they pitch, there is always an awareness among the Seattle Mariners that their margin for error is slim.

It has been that way for years, and it was made obvious again Saturday when Doug Fister had one tough inning, Tampa Bay starter Jeremy Hellickson had none and that was the difference in the Rays’ 3-2 victory over the Mariners.

It was a beautiful, sun-filled day at Safeco Field for 28,843 and no one had a better time than Hellickson, who came in the reigning American League pitcher and rookie of the month – and then two-hit Seattle into the eighth inning.

“Good fastball, really good change-up, great location,” Mariners designated hitter Jack Cust said. “He kept everything down, then would come up and in and have you chasing that pitch.”

Through his first 10 starts, Hellickson had gone 6-3 with a 2.80 earned-run average. When he showered and left Safeco Field, he was 7-3 with a 2.64 ERA.

The Mariners couldn’t hit him, so they praised him.

“Hellickson threw a great game,” manager Eric Wedge said. “We never really put anything together against him.”

The closest thing to a rally in the first seven innings came in the second. Cust walked and, two outs later, the entire Rays defense lost track of a shallow pop fly off the bat of Carlos Peguero.

It fell and was ruled a single, putting runners at first and third base with two out. It would be the only time the Mariners would have two men on base at the same time, and it led nowhere when Chone Figgins struck out.

Fister, meanwhile, who was making his 12th start of the season, threw strikes in the first inning – 13 of his 15 pitches were strikes – then lost command in the second inning.

It beat him.

Three Tampa Bay batters walked in that second inning, three more had hits and by the time Fister got out of it he was trailing 3-0.

“Doug struggled one inning early on, but I couldn’t be more impressed with him after that inning,” Wedge said. “He gave us a great effort. He was out of sync one inning, and found himself after that and gave us the chance to win the game. Doug pitched.”

The problem? Three runs looked like 10 the way Hellickson pitched.

The closest the Mariners came to a run in the first seven innings was when Justin Smoak doubled to open the fourth, took third on Cust’s fly ball to center field, then tagged up on Adam Kennedy’s fly ball to right field.

But right fielder Matt Joyce threw Smoak out at the plate.

After seven innings and 112 pitches, Fister left, trailing by that 3-0 score, replaced by David Pauley.

And Hellickson? After seven shutout innings, he got one out in the eighth inning, then allowed a double to fellow rookie Peguero on his 108th pitch. That was enough, and manager Joe Maddon went to his bullpen.

Joel Peralta retired Figgins, but Wedge went to his bench and used Miguel Olivo to pinch-hit for Chris Gimenez. Olivo immediately fell behind on two breaking pitches, 0-2.

“I went up looking for one pitch to hit and was a little fooled on the second one,” Olivo said. “Then he threw me a change-up …”

Olivo hammered it over the left field scoreboard for his sixth home run of the season – and his first pinch-hit home run since he was with the Kansas City Royals on June 30, 2008.

“Miggy hit that one out and we had the chance to tie or win it in the ninth inning,” Wedge said.

The Mariners didn’t. Kyle Farnsworth set down Brendan Ryan, Smoak and Cust in order for his 11th save, and the Mariners’ mini two-game winning streak ended.

Fister blamed himself, not an offense that finished with four hits.

“From the first pitch to the last pitch, you’ve got to locate, and in the second inning I didn’t,” Fister said. “Hitters don’t always have to hit it hard or hit it far. If they hit it in the right spot, it counts.”

The three hits that did the damage in the Rays’ big inning were all bloops, two of them little more than pop flies that fell in front of charging outfielders. Still, they weren’t balls that should have been caught – just soft, perfectly placed hits that pushed home three runs.

The Mariners’ offense couldn’t counter.

Figgins, batting eighth, went 0-for-3 and is 1-for-23 on this homestand, batting .184 for the season. Ichiro Suzuki went 0-for-4, hitless for the third consecutive game, and is 5-for-38 on the homestand and batting .261

There are plenty of issues facing the Mariners’ hitters – up and down that lineup.

But when two veterans counted on to spark the team don’t, there’s going to be trouble scoring runs.

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners

MINNEOLIS – The Seattle Mariners lost a game and a winning streak Tuesday for the simplest of reasons – they didn’t deserve to win.

That didn’t mean Doug Fister deserved to lose.

The Mariners rarely score much for Fister, and against Minnesota there was some questionable defense, a mysterious balk call and Nick Blackburn’s complete-game, 4-2 victory.

“Doug had some tough luck tonight,” manager Eric Wedge said.

A man who has gotten two runs or fewer to work with in eight of his 10 starts this season, Fister went 62/3 innings against the Twins and allowed four runs – all of them earned.

Anyone watching, however, got a different image of Fister’s outing.

Take the Twins’ second run, for instance. Alexi Casilla hit a high fly ball to the warning track in left field, and rookie Carlos Peguero set off after the ball. Instead of getting there and waiting for the ball, Peguero drifted under it.

When the ball came down, it bounced in and out of his glove, and Casilla was granted a double.

“He’ll learn,” Wedge said of Peguero. “He will get better.”

One out later, the Twins squeezed Casilla home for a 2-0 lead.

Miguel Olivo tied it with a two-run home run in the fourth inning, and that tie held until the seventh inning, when Rene Rivera and Casilla singled with one out to put runners on the corners for Minnesota.

Fister tried a fake-to-third, throw-to-first pick off move and was called for a balk by first base umpire Alfonso Marquez – a call that sent the go-ahead run trotting home.

What hpened?

“I never got an explanation,” Fister said. “I’ve been called for balks before, when I’ve dropped the ball or done something wrong, but this is the first time I’ve ever been called for one on that kind of play.”

Wedge was angry enough after the game to request the chance to talk to the umpiring crew.

“If there’s a call on that play, it should be from the third-base umpire, not the first-base ump, because the first-base umpire is looking at the move from behind,” Wedge said. “He’s not in position to see where Doug’s foot is going.”

And then, there was this tidbit.

“I asked the plate umpire who called the balk, and he said the first-base ump,” Olivo said. “But the first-base ump told Justin Smoak the plate umpire called it.”

From there, it slid away: Denard Span doubled home Casilla, and Peguero’s throw toward the infield eluded third baseman Chone Figgins, then went right through the legs of Olivo, who was charged with an error.

Tough luck?

“Sure, there can be luck involved in baseball,” Fister said. “It can be good and bad. It’s why you love the game and hate the game at times.”

The Mariners might have survived all of that if it hadn’t been for Blackburn, a pitcher former Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi once tried to acquire in trade. Now 29, Blackburn tossed his fifth career complete game, a seven-hitter – but his luck was considerably better than Fister’s.

With the Twins up 1-0 in the second inning, Jack Cust doubled but, with one out, was doubled off second base when Adam Kennedy lined out to right field.

And in the seventh inning with the score still tied, Olivo doubled and was at third base with one out. The Twins played the infield in. Peguero grounded to second baseman Casilla.

“I was running on contact,” Olivo said. “The throw beat me by a lot, and the catcher (Rene Rivera) had time to get really low. I tried to knock the ball out of his glove.”

Instead, he was tagged out. It was the last chance the Mariners had to seize the lead, and the last time they put a man in scoring position.

It was precisely the kind of game the Mariners had avoided while winning six games in a row, and while a victory would have gotten them to .500 for the first time since ril 4, the loss dropped them to 23-25.

Yes, they had seven hits, but three of those belonged to shortstop Brendan Ryan – and none of Ryan’s left the infield.

That the loss came in a Fister start probably was no surprise.

In his previous two starts he had pitched 16 innings, allowed three runs and earned a pair of no-decisions. Now 2-5, Fister has a 3.18 earned-run average. In six of his starts, he’s allowed two runs or fewer.

He’s 2-1 in those six games.

Against the Twins, he probably deserved better. His team? Not so much.

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners

SEATTLE — Nine-time Gold Glover Torri Hunter lost Carlos Peguero’s fly ball with two outs in the ninth inning in the sun, allowing Jack Cust to score and give the Seattle Mariners a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday afternoon.Seattle swept the brief two-game series in unusual fashion. Cust started the ninth with a check-swing dribbler up the third base line off reliever Scott Downs (1-1) that beat the Angels defensive shift.Adam Kennedy’s sacrifice bunt moved Cust to second and he advanced to third on Luis Rodriguez’s ground out to first.Peguero, who had at least a double taken away by Hunter in the seventh inning with a great catch, then hit a fly ball to left-center field. Hunter was in position but then lost the ball in the bright sun and it fell in for a hit to score Cust.David Pauley (2-0) worked one inning of relief for starter Doug Fister to pick up the win. Fister went eight strong innings, giving up just a solo homer to the Angels’ Howie Kendrick.Los Angeles starter Dan Haren also went eight innings, allowing just three hits and one run to the Mariners.After striking out Hunter to begin the fourth, Fister left a changeup over the middle of the plate that Kendrick drove just over the hand-operated scoreboard in left field. It was the Angels’ first run since the eighth inning on Monday night in Oakland, a span of 24 innings.But Fister didn’t fold, bouncing back to retire 13 of the final 17 batters he faced. He gave up a leadoff double to Alexi Amarista in the fifth and later walked Bobby Abreu, but got Maicer Izturis to ground into a double play to end that threat.Fister also esced a jam in the second after Hank Conger’s two-out double put runners on second and third, only to see Mark Trumbo fly out to end the inning.In its brief four-game homestand, Seattle’s starters were brilliant. Michael Pineda, Felix Hernandez, Jason Vargas and Fister all worked at least seven innings — 30 total between the foursome — and allowed a combined three earned runs.In 15 games this month, Mariners starters have gone at least seven innings 11 times.Seattle’s first run came in the fifth when it finally got a hit off Haren, who tossed four hitless innings before giving up Rodriguez’s leadoff double in the fifth. Rodriguez advanced to third and scored on Chris Gimenez’s fly ball to center field that was just deep enough. Hunter, making his first start of the season in center, made a perfect one-hop throw to Conger at the plate, but Rodriguez slid just under the tag and was called safe by home plate umpire Jerry Meals. Haren yelled and pumped his first in disgust at the close call.Hunter later showed why he has all those Gold Gloves, racing back on Peguero’s deep drive with two outs in the seven and leing into the wall to take away at least a double.NOTES: Hunter has spent most of the season in right field, but was moved to center to give Peter Bourjos a day off. “I think he knows the neighborhood,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia joked before Thursday’s game. “I heard he’s played it before so we’ll give him a shot.” … Seattle begins interleague play on Friday with a three-game weekend series in San Diego. The Angels go home to host Atlanta. … Kendrick had his 19th multi-hit game and leads the American League. He left in the bottom of the ninth inning with tightness in his right hamstring. He was thrown out trying to steal second in the top of the inning.

SEATTLE () – Nine-time Gold Glover Torri Hunter lost Carlos Peguero’s fly ball with two outs in the ninth inning in the sun, allowing Jack Cust to score and give the Seattle Mariners a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday afternoon.

Seattle swept the brief two-game series in unusual fashion. Cust started the ninth with a check-swing dribbler up the third base line off reliever Scott Downs (1-1) that beat the Angels defensive shift.

Adam Kennedy’s sacrifice bunt moved Cust to second and he advanced to third on Luis Rodriguez’s ground out to first.

Peguero, who had at least a double taken away by Hunter in the seventh inning with a great catch, then hit a fly ball to left-center field. Hunter was in position but then lost the ball in the bright sun and it fell in for a hit to score Cust.

David Pauley (2-0) worked one inning of relief for starter Doug Fister to pick up the win. Fister went eight strong innings, giving up just a solo homer to the Angels’ Howie Kendrick.

Los Angeles starter Dan Haren also went eight innings, allowing just three hits and one run to the Mariners.

After striking out Hunter to begin the fourth, Fister left a changeup over the middle of the plate that Kendrick drove just over the hand-operated scoreboard in left field. It was the Angels’ first run since the eighth inning on Monday night in Oakland, a span of 24 innings.

But Fister didn’t fold, bouncing back to retire 13 of the final 17 batters he faced. He gave up a leadoff double to Alexi Amarista in the fifth and later walked Bobby Abreu, but got Maicer Izturis to ground into a double play to end that threat.

Fister also esced a jam in the second after Hank Conger’s two-out double put runners on second and third, only to see Mark Trumbo fly out to end the inning.

In its brief four-game homestand, Seattle’s starters were brilliant. Michael Pineda, Felix Hernandez, Jason Vargas and Fister all worked at least seven innings – 30 total between the foursome – and allowed a combined three earned runs.

In 15 games this month, Mariners starters have gone at least seven innings 11 times.

Seattle’s first run came in the fifth when it finally got a hit off Haren, who tossed four hitless innings before giving up Rodriguez’s leadoff double in the fifth. Rodriguez advanced to third and scored on Chris Gimenez’s fly ball to center field that was just deep enough. Hunter, making his first start of the season in center, made a perfect one-hop throw to Conger at the plate, but Rodriguez slid just under the tag and was called safe by home plate umpire Jerry Meals. Haren yelled and pumped his first in disgust at the close call.

Hunter later showed why he has all those Gold Gloves, racing back on Peguero’s deep drive with two outs in the seven and leing into the wall to take away at least a double.