Seattle Mariners Manager Speaks Further on Rodriguez's Critical Base Running Error
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners 2-1 extra-inning loss to the New York Yankees on Wednesday was a heartbreaker.
The Mariners managed to stifle the potent Yankees offense a day after allowing 11 runs. They were in prime position to tie or take the lead with runners on the corners and no outs in the bottom of the 10th.
But then one of the rarest and unluckiest plays happened to Seattle. Franchise star Julio Rodriguez was standing at third and ran out of the way of teammate Randy Arozarena's wayward bat that flew out of the latter's hands on a swing.
That swing struck Arozarena out, but it was still a live play and Rodriguez's act of self-preservation took him far enough off the bag that New York catcher Austin Wells was able to get a throw off to third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Chisholm Jr. tagged out Rodriguez and the Mariners went from no outs and runners on the corners to a runner on first with two outs in just one play.
Both Seattle manager Dan Wilson and Rodriguez talked after the game about the base-running snafu. Rodriguez said he thought it was a dead play and Wilson called the play a "freak scenario."
Wilson spoke further about the play before Thursday's series finale against the Yankees.
"He came into my office and apologized for making a mistake there," Wilson said. "And I really respect him for that. We had a good conversation and today, we turn the page and we start new. Sun's out today and it's a chance to go out and get back to what we do. And that's what we're focused on right now."
Per a tweet from Circling Seattle Sports, the Mariners' Wednesday starting pitcher Bryce Miller was talking and seemingly encouraging Rodriguez after the game.
Before we heard from Julio Rodríguez at his locker in the clubhouse postgame, Bryce Miller was chatting with him and giving him a few pats on the back.#TridentsUp
— Circling Seattle Sports (@CirclingSports) September 19, 2024
Seattle has a strong team bond per accounts from several players and staff members over the course of this season. That interaction between Miller and Rodriguez seems to highlight that.
Wilson also talked about the Mariners' close-knit fabric and their ability to rally to a player after disappointing results like Wednesday.
"It's a tight group," Wilson said. "We're in a tight spot in the season and we're here to pick each other up. ... You're expecting that to happen. This is a team that, since I've been here, has been able to do that. Today should be no exception to that. And that's a big part of the resilience that these guys have — is that they have each other's backs."
Rodriguez is not having the season he's accustomed to having. But even in what many consider the "worst" year of his career, he's batting .266 and leads the team in hits and multi-hit games and is third on the club in steals.
And if Seattle does accomplish the improbable and make the playoffs (3.2% entering Thursday according to FanGraphs), Rodriguez will likely be a big reason why.
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