Mariners and J-Rod give some hope in Orioles series finale

It’s only one game, but Julio Rodriguez and the Seattle Mariners showed what they’re capable of in 7-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

It’s fair to state that the Seattle Mariners have been in a tough stretch of late, with 10 losses in 13 games prior to Thursday afternoon’s matchup with the Baltimore Orioles. They have lost five consecutive series and seen their 10.0 game lead at the top of the AL West whittled all the way down to just 2.0 games.

The chief culprit during this run of poor overall results, has been the offensive performances. Just two days earlier the Mariners managed only two hits in a 2-0 loss to the Orioles, and overall the lineup ranks at or near the bottom in a whole host of categories in the Majors.

Well, for one game at least, the Mariners finally provided some reason for optimism, as they beat the ball club with the most wins in the American League. And one of the main reasons for optimism in the 7-3 victory over the Orioles, was the return of the Julio Rodríguez that all fans know and love.

Rodríguez is generally perceived as a generational talent, with the potential to be a superstar a la Ken Griffey Jr. on display during his first two years in the Majors. This includes two All-Star appearances, becoming the first player in MLB history to record 25 home runs and 25 steals in each of his first two seasons, and finishing fourth in AL MVP voting last year.

J-Rod not his usual self so far in 2024

Unfortunately for everyone concerned in the Mariners organisation, the 23-year-old has taken a significant step back this season, struggling to find even average form with his bat. As things stand, he’s projected to have offensive career lows pretty much across the board, summed up by a .632 OPS.

Taking all of this into account, Rodríguez desperately needed something positive to happen, to inspire himself, his teammates, the coaching staff and the fans. And it finally came on Thursday afternoon at T-Mobile Park, in front of 32,347 people celebrating July. 4.

The two-time slugger had two hits and one RBI, as he finally showed some of the form which has had fans excited in the Pacific Northwest for the past few years. While this might not sound like that impressive of a performance, it was the first time in 15 games he had two hits, and just the second in 20. (He also nabbed his 18th steal of the season.)

Rodríguez’s first hit galvanized the Mariners in a way the ball club is used to, and it came at an important time with them trailing 2-0 versus the Orioles. It was ‘only’ a solo blast in the bottom of the fifth, but it got the home side on the board and got them rolling.

The Mariners would add another run in the fifth to tie the game at 2-2, and then two innings later blew the game wide open by scoring five times. J.P. Crawford had a three-RBI double and Mitch Garver hit a two-run bomb, and suddenly it was 7-2 to the good guys after seven,

The Orioles did claw one run back in the top of the eighth, but it was as close as they would get, to make the final scoreline of 7-3 Mariners. It doesn’t matter that they were outhit 10-7 by the visitors; the most important thing was that they all came together and worked hard for an impressive win over one of the best ball clubs in the Majors.

Relief for Rodríguez

Speaking postgame, Rodríguez shared his feelings about the game. As per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, he said:

“It definitely feels great. Sometimes, you’ve got to go through tough stretches to wake the hell up.”

Rodríguez is renowned for his positive and down to earth approach to playing, alluding to how much he appreciates and feels grateful for the opportunity to play baseball for a living. He said:

“I just feel like a lot of people misunderstand my edge with how I play the game. With joy, whatever. I feel I just go out there and give everything. I feel like that’s my playing style. And a lot of people might be mistaken, but sometimes you’ve got to remind them.”

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A bit of a scare for the Mariners

There was some concern for the 2022 AL Rookie of the Year in the top of the sixth, after he jammed his right thumb while making a catch on a high flyball. This resulted in a visit from Mariners manager Scott Servais and head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson, which seemed to last an eternity.

In the end however, there was a collective sigh of relief around T-Mobile Park, as Rodríguez was able to remain in the game. Speaking about the injury scare, he said:

“Obviously, you always get scared, but after I moved around a little bit, (the pain) went away.”

One thing which has come across during Rodríguez’s slump, is that he seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. And with the ball club struggling offensively as a whole, he appears to be pressing and putting even more pressure on himself.

Servais discussed this with the media postgame. He said:

“We ask a lot of him, and I just want him to be him. He doesn’t have to carry the team. It’s okay to show emotion. It’s okay to get pissed off when you don’t have a good game and things like that. That’s normal. Hopefully today will lighten things up for him.”

It’s only one game, but it could be just what’s needed to get Rodríguez and the Mariners back on track. We’ll begin to find out on Friday night, when they host the Toronto Blue Jays in the first of three games.

Does the win in the series finale versus the Orioles give you genuine reason for optimism moving forward? Or are you concerned about the shortcomings of the Mariners — specifically offensively — and how it will impact their playoff chances? Let us know in the comments section below.