Tigers drill Mariners' Josh Naylor with fastball: ‘I knew it was on purpose' | Notebook

DETROIT - Josh Naylor wore a 96-mph fastball off his upper shoulder and back in the fifth inning Saturday. He thinks it was for something that happened in Friday's series opener. It very well could have been for what happened a couple innings earlier.

The Mariners first baseman found himself drawing the ire of the Tigers in the second of the three-game series, this time for a play at home plate where Naylor's sliding mitt ended up flung toward Detroit catcher Dillon Dingler as a throw was coming in.

Naylor was attempting, successfully, to score from first on Randy Arozarena's double in the third inning. While the flung glove didn't appear to interfere with the play, it did look purposeful.

Naylor attempted to explain what happened after the M's 4-0 victory.

"I couldn't get it on in time at first base and I really didn't expect Randy to swing at the first pitch and then I forgot about it as I was running the bases, Naylor said. "And then I noticed I had it on the video and it just flew, and I felt really bad.

Naylor always plays with an edge that can annoy opponents, which seems to be the reason a fastball from Keider Montero came up and in the next time Naylor was at the plate. It likely could have been for the play at the plate. It also could have been for Friday's game where Naylor was doing his usual antics on the bases and had a glancing collision at first base in the field with Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle.

Either way, Naylor seemed to understand why he got plunked.

"I knew it was on purpose," he said.

Montero told reporters after the game he was just trying to get a quick out.

"It was a sinker in, and it moved in a little bit and got him," Montero said.

Matters seemed to be resolved, or at least cooled, later on as Naylor's last two plate appearances were without incident.

Crawford update

Shortstop J.P. Crawford was out of the lineup Saturday after getting hit on his right hand in the third inning of Friday's opener. Manager Dan Wilson said Crawford was feeling a little bit better but the quick turnaround from a Friday night game to a Saturday day game made keeping Crawford out the prudent decision.

"It's still pretty sore and it being his right hand probably something that we want to make sure he's in really good shape before we get him back out there. I think he'll be fine, just needs another day," Wilson said before Saturday's game.

With Crawford out, Cole Young was inserted into the leadoff spot for the second time this season. Young popped out on the first pitch of the game, but was on base twice, including a single in the ninth inning.

With the Tigers starting another right-hander in Jack Flaherty in the series finale on Sunday, Young could lead off again if Crawford needs one more day.

"He doesn't need to do anything different than what he does and I think he'll be ready for it," Wilson said.

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