"Mariners manager Eric Wedge talked before Wednesday's game about seeking "small steps" and "small victories" from Erik Bedard in his ongoing comeback from three shoulder operations.

Bedard may indeed have made some positive steps in his subsequent five-inning stint, but for his fourth straight start, Bedard found victory elusive.

He fell to 0-4 for the season as the Tigers turned back a ninth-inning Seattle rally to edge the Mariners, 3-2, before an afternoon crowd of 13,339 at Safeco Field.

The Mariners' loss, coupled with Boston's win at Oakland, gave Seattle the worst winning percentage in the American League (.316) for the first time this season.

The Mariners cut the Detroit lead to one in the ninth when Adam Kennedy hit a leadoff homer against Tigers closer Jose Valverde — their first hit since the fourth inning.

Valverde struck out Jack Cust, but Michael Saunders laced a double into the left-field corner to put the tying run in scoring position with one out.

Pinch-hitter Milton Bradley took a called third strike for the second out. Wedge elected to let Carlos Peguero, making his first major-league start, hit for himself. But heroics were not to be part of the script for Peguero, who struck out for the third time to end the game.

Peguero, who finished 0 for 4, said he wasn't trying for a game-winning homer in that situation, though he took some mighty hacks, as he did throughout the game.

"No, no. I was just thinking to hit the ball hard, make contact," he said. "I wasn't thinking home run."

Peguero, who came up from Class AAA Tacoma on Tuesday to replace Justin Smoak (who's on the bereavement list), had other chances to make an instant impact. But Peguero struck out with two outs and runners on first and second in the fourth, and with one out and a runner on third in the seventh."