Seattle Mariners Get Two Home Runs From Julio Rodriguez, Blitz Texas Rangers
The Seattle Mariners bounced back from a disappointing home series against the New York Yankees with a dominant showing to start off their last road trip of the season.
The Mariners got two home runs from Julio Rodriguez totaling five RBIs en route to an 8-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
The win improved Seattle's record to 79-75 and kept it 5.0 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West. They stayed 2.0 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot after the Minnesota Twins won 4-2 in 12 innings against the Boston Red Sox (also on Friday).
"Really good ballgame tonight," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said in a postgame interview Friday. " ... We were able to get on the scoreboard first. They took the lead back but then I thought we came right back and were able to get runs right back on them. Julio obviously swinging the bat very well. Hitting that ball to left and later on tacking on the two-run homer to right. ... Just all around — again tonight, 10 hits, I think, offensively. Hitting the ball in all parts of the field. ... Another great job by everybody tonight."
Seattle drew first blood in the top of the third inning with a solo home run by Josh Rojas to right center field.
Watch it fly, Josh! ⚾👋 pic.twitter.com/Jr0IkxhkVJ
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 21, 2024
Nathaniel Lowe made the Mariners' lead short-lived and hit a two-RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to put the Rangers ahead 2-1. Those were the only runs for Texas during the game.
It was also the lone blemish for Seattle starter George Kirby, who pitched six innings and struck out four batters while letting up the two earned runs to Lowe and five hits in total.
George Kirby, 97mph 🧀 at the knees. pic.twitter.com/P2kINpqniU
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 21, 2024
Rodriguez, who endured a lot of criticism this week with a base running snafu against the New York Yankees on Wednesday, bounced back with his first home run in the top of the fifth inning. It was a three-run shot to left field that gave the Mariners a 4-2 advantage.
Busted out the nine-iron 🏌️♂️ pic.twitter.com/pdZiTdV4RE
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 21, 2024
Rodriguez wasn't done and added two more off his second homer in the top of the seventh. That bolstered Seattle's lead to 6-2.
Texas two (home runs) step. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/o7xNn74mUh
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 21, 2024
The Mariners capped off their day with two RBI sacrifice flies in the top of the eighth — one hit by Rojas to bring home Justin Turner and another hit by Victor Robles that scored Dylan Moore.
Moore's run resulted in the eventual final of 8-2.
Seattle made up one game on the Detroit Tigers, the team in between it and the Twins, but didn't gain on any other team ahead of them in the standings.
But Rodriguez had an amazing bounce-back game after a rough Yankees series, the Mariners preserved the back end of their bullpen and started the road trip off almost as well as it could have.
Now they need to keep it going.
Emerson Hancock will start for Seattle against Max Scherzer at 4:05 p.m. PT on Saturday.
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