"In the very first start of his major league career, Carlos Peguero got the chance to be a hero.

With two outs and the Seattle Mariners trailing 3-2 and Michael Saunders standing on second representing the tying run, the young slugging prospect stepped to the plate with a chance to either tie or win the game. Facing hard-throwing Detroit Tigers closer Jose Valverde, it was clear from the start that Peguero had a simple approach - hit the ball, and hit it as hard as possible.

Was he capable of walk-off heroics? Of course, after all, it was just a few weeks earlier that Peguero had launched a ball over the batter's eye beyond the center field wall during a Tacoma Rainiers workout at Safeco Field. He has power and more power.

But power needs contact.

No matter how hard he swung, Peguero couldn't quite square up one of Valverde's fastballs. Instead of homering and announcing himself to Seattle fans and giving himself a magical memory to keep forever, he struck out swinging on four pitches to end the game, leaving the Mariners with a 3-2 loss to the Tigers.

"It's part of the game," he said. "But I'll keep my head up and we'll get'em tomorrow."

Peguero didn't shrink from the moment. He understood what he needed to do.

"I wasn't thinking home run, just contact," he said.

Yes, hard contact.

Mariners manager Eric Wedge couldn't fault the effort of the 24-year-old outfielder, who was only called up the day before when Justin Smoak was placed on the bereavement list.

"Hey, it was exciting stuff," Wedge said. "There's only one first game and he has it under his belt now and we'll work from here."

Before the game, Wedge talked about his own first major league start.

"Mine was against the Seattle Mariners, ironically enough, at Fenway," he said.

And he got the luxury of facing Randy Johnson in that game."