Through six innings this past Sunday, the Mariners looked to be on their way to a loss, down 5-2 to the Texas Rangers. And then, Kyle Seager stepped up — literally and figuratively.
Seager lined a home run to right field to open the seventh inning, then belted a three-run shot in the eighth to cap a furious Mariners rally that led to a 6-5 comeback victory. With the win, the M's took two out of three against the Rangers, completing a 3-3 homestand.
"There's nothing like positive results," noted Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon. "When you start to get some positive results you feel better about what you're doing and how you're doing it."
The offense has been downright offensive
Following a quick start to the season, the Mariners experienced a long, devastating dry spell, losing eight straight games. Although youth, the lack of true corner outfielders and a few pitching misadventures played roles, the team's disappearing offense was the primary culprit. After all, the M's managed to maintain the A.L.'s third-lowest team ERA (3.74), and the overall fielding metrics (.974 fielding percentage, .718 DEF) were near the top of the league. The American League's second-worst offense was the main reason Seatle stood just 7-13 after their first 20 games.
Sunday's heroics were a microcosm of why this year's team may yet be different from so many previous incarnations.
The past four games have shown that the M's have fire in their bellies
Teams frequently take on the personalities of their managers, and if the past four games are any indication, manager Lloyd McClendon seems to have instilled a sense of measured determination on the club. The following is a quick recap of Seattle's games immediately following the losing streak:
April 23: Mariners 5, Astros 3. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning and facing former M's prospect Josh Fields, Robinson Cano looped a single to center field, and took second on Corey Hart's single to left. After Michael Saunders came in to pinch run for Hart, Justin Smoak struck out. Up stepped third baseman Kyle Seager, who faced eleven pitches and worked the count to 3-2 before blasting a walk-off three run home run to win the game 6-3. Seager drove in all five runs.
April 25: Mariners 6, Rangers 5. Once again, the M's rallied late to claim a victory, although not without some ninth-inning misadventures of their own. Losing 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Robinson Cano led off the inning against Neil Cotts with a base hit. Cano took second on a past ball, and Corey Hart was hit by a pitch. Left fielder Stefan Romero laid down a bunt and beat out the throw, loading the bases. With Michael Saunders again pinch running for Hart, Justin Smoak lined a double to left, scoring Cano and Saunders. Kyle Seager singled to left, plating Romero, and Smoak scored on a wild pitch by Alexi Ogando. In the ninth, Fernando Rodney gave up two runs before Adrian Beltre's smash the opposite way was speared by a diving Smoak, who doubled off Elvis Andrus to close out the game.
April 26: Rangers 6, Mariners 3. The Rangers overcame early home runs by Kyle Seager and Michael Saunders to beat Felix Hernandez and the Mariners, 6-3.
April 27: Mariners 6, Rangers 5. Kyle Seager was the offensive star once more, smacking two homers and collecting four RBI's. Robinson Cano went 2-4 to improve his average to .301, tops on the team.
Over the four games, Seager hit .533 (8 for 15) with five homers, six runs scored and 11 RBI. He was named the American League's co-player of the week, along with the White Sox' Jose Abreu.
The Mariners still have work to do
Even with the 20 runs scored in the previous four games, Seattle is still averaging just 3.79 runs per game. After Cano's .301 average, the next highest regular contributor is Justin Smoak at .241, followed by Corey Hart (.239), Dustin Ackley (.237), Mike Zunino (.235), Kyle Seager (.228) and Abraham Almonte (.204). Brad Miller is well below the Mendoza line, hitting just .174.
Almonte and Miller have been at the top of the batting order for much of the season. Judging by their combined .190 batting averages and respective .250 and .211 on base percentages, it's no small wonder why the offense as a whole has been misfiring. McClendon sat both on Sunday and inserted Saunders into the leadoff slot during the past two games, who proceeded to reach base three times, including hitting a leadoff home run on Saturday. Sunday's lineup was also noteworthy for its nearly perfect left-right alternating alignment, with Smoak as the sole switch hitter.
Clearly, McClendon is tinkering, trying to find a spark at the top of the order. Saunders' speed and defense have never been in question, just his consistency at the plate. The next few games should serve as a test to see what he can do in that role.
Seattle hits the road
The M's spent getaway day on Monday flying to New York, where they will face the first place Yankees in a three-game series starting on Tuesday. After that, they play three in Houston before finishing the trip with four games against the Oakland A's, including a doubleheader on Wednesday, May 7th. With #2 starting pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma due back shortly, Kyle Seager on fire and other bats starting to heat up, this road trip could be a springboard to bigger and better things down the line.
Or, as with so many previous M's teams, it may well serve not to praise them, but to bury them. We'll know in about ten days.