By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA – The Mariners offense stayed hot in their series against the Houston Astros, as Seattle collected 13 hits in their 6-0 win. Seattle was able to add continuously as the game went on, not necessarily relying solely on home runs to get on the board. Starter Logan Gilbert added another masterful outing to his stellar 2022 campaign, throwing a seven-inning shutout. Seattle collected its 20th win on the season
(Photo Liv Lyons)
Gilbert returns to ace level form
Second year starter Logan Gilbert has gotten his 2022 campaign underway in great form, and he returned to that form in tonight’s win. While Gilbert allowed only one run at maximum per game in his first five starts, he allowed three to four in his last four outings. Gilbert picked up his first career win against Houston in shutout fashion, holding the Astros to only four hits, striking out five, walking none, and generating a game high eleven swings and misses. There have been a solid number of instances this season where Gilbert has been Seattle’s top pitcher. Continuing to get performances like this, or even relatively similar, establish a great one-two punch at the top of the Mariners rotation with Robbie Ray.
(Photo Liv Lyons)
Have you heard about Julio lately?
Julio Rodriguez has been everything that he was hyped up to be and more, and that is saying something. The Dominican Republic born outfielder has been all over the headlines and the stat sheet in the month of May for Seattle, and that was no different in this game. Rodriguez followed up yesterday’s performance of a two-run monster homer with a 3-5 day, including a stolen base. That stolen base, his 14th on the season, put him back in sole possession of the league lead in stolen bases. The 21-year-old rookie is making his push for AL Rookie of the month, and if he can continue this pace, he will surely battle Houston’s Jeremy Pena for the AL rookie of the year award.
To give some numbers to Julio’s Rookie of the month case, Rodriguez was batting .313 coming into this game with eleven runs, two doubles, a triple, six homers, 16 RBI’s, four stolen bases (now five), and five walks. He is first amongst major league rookies in hits, is tied for first in homers, second in RBI, first in total bases, first in wRC+, and is sitting at second in fWAR. Rodriguez is bringing serious value to the Seattle ballclub, and he hasn’t even played half a season of professional ball yet.
These past two wins for Seattle, and this series win (the first since the Mets series in the middle of the month) are huge if they mean a potential turn around on the season. Following a series lost to the lowly Oakland Athletics, the Mariners sat in the basement of the division and were searching for answers. Giving a beating to the top team in the division could be a sign of changes coming through.
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