Mariners takeaways: Comeback kids? Seattle has already rallied for 5 come-from-behind wins this season
Following his club’s fifth come-from-behind win of this young season on Friday night at T-Mobile Park, Mariners manager Scott Servais offered a suggestion to fans watching at home.
“I don’t think anybody should turn the TV off early in our games,” he said.
This club has indeed played comeback kids often during the first two weeks of the regular season — so often, in fact, that tuning out before the later innings might mean missing a thrilling rally.
Down five runs to the Giants in the eighth inning of their season opener, the Mariners put up six in their half of the frame, and ultimately won in extra innings. They rallied for seven runs in the sixth inning against the White Sox later in that opening homestand for a win.
During their first road trip, they overcame an early six-run deficit against Minnesota that secured a series win, and later posted another come-from-behind win against the Orioles in Baltimore that helped catapult them into first place in the American League West — where they stood alone, if only for a moment — late last week.
“You’ve got to continue to fight, you’ve got to continue to battle, and you don’t want to give those at-bats away,” Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager said following the series-ending win over the Twins.
“You’ve got really be locked in because you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
The Mariners had nine wins entering Sunday afternoon’s series finale against the Astros — and were still tied with the Angels atop the division — and in five of those they rallied for victories.
Seattle hasn’t always scored early, but entering the day had outscored opponents 39-21 in the sixth inning or later, and the late jolt of offense has led to some thrilling wins.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I think it’s pretty fun,” Servais said. “It’s fun to watch. … Confidence certainly building. Guys are enjoying coming to the ballpark and we’re still getting better.”
Friday’s win played out similar to the others — the Mariners twice cut back three-run leads that the Astros built, and then walked off in the ninth on a Ty France RBI single.
“It’s just awesome to be a part of,” Mariners first baseman Evan White said of the energy in Seattle’s dugout early on this season. “We never quit fighting. We enjoy being around each other and enjoy playing for each other.”
PAXTON TO HAVE SURGERY, OUT FOR SEASON
The Mariners will be without veteran starter James Paxton for the rest of the season, Servais confirmed Tuesday.
The 32-year-old left-hander, who exited in the second inning of his season debut on April 6 with a forearm strain, will have season-ending surgery.
“Certainly very unfortunate,” Servais said. “Feel terrible for Pax having to deal with this one again, but if I know Pax, he will take the right attitude with it and go forward and try to make the best out of it and come back hopefully stronger than ever.”
Servais said he did not have particulars on what surgery Paxton will have, but a report from MLB Network’s Jon Heyman prior to Servais’ announcement that Paxton would miss the rest of the season suggested the pitcher had Tommy John surgery recommended to him by at least one doctor.
Paxton threw 24 pitches before he exited his only start with Seattle — he reunited with the club that drafted him this offseason on a reported one-year, $8.5 million deal — and said postgame that day the discomfort got to the point where he “wasn’t able to throw pitches.”
He appeared to grimace after throwing a 92 mph fastball to Chicago’s Andrew Vaughn, and bent over behind the mound as his catcher and infielders corralled around him, and Servais and athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson hurried from the dugout.
Paxton appeared frustrated as he left the field with Torgerson moments later.
“I feel like for me it’s kind of been one thing after another,” Paxton said that night. “I work really hard and do everything that I can to be out there, and I’ll continue to do so, and hopefully I can catch a break and stay healthy for a good chunk of time in the future.”
Paxton was transferred to the 60-day injured list Friday.
LET’S PLAY TWO
Due to inclement weather in Baltimore last week, the Mariners and Orioles played a pair of seven-inning double headers Tuesday and Thursday.
How did it go?
The Mariners won three of the four games — and nearly swept — as they catapulted into first place in the AL West.
Utility player Sam Haggerty had one of the highlights of the four-game series. He crushed a two-run home run in extra innings of the second game Tuesday — his first of the season — that reached the famous Eutaw Street at Camden Yards.
Haggerty’s 409-foot blast was the 102nd home run to reach the street in right field, and the first by an Orioles opponent since 2018. He is the second Mariner to ever homer there, joining Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who hit the fourth-ever homer to Eutaw Street on April 24, 1994.
“It was a good game for Sam,” Servais said. “Sam can do some things. He gets on base. He’s one of our fastest base runners.
“We’re not looking for him to hit monster, titanic home runs, but we’ll take them when they’re there.”
TOP THREE
Much of the Mariners’ offensive production this season has come from Mitch Haniger, France and Seager, who have hit Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the batting order in every game Seattle has played so far.
Haniger, who was hitting .328/.348/.590 entering Sunday, was leading the club in both average and slugging percentage, as well as hits (20) and home runs (four).
France was hitting .286/.379/.446 and Seager was hitting .273/.339/.455, leading the team with 12 RBI.
They were all ranked among the top four Mariners players in average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, home runs and RBI entering the day, and had combined for 51 of Seattle’s 109 hits.
STAT PACK
Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford had an eight-game hitting streak entering Sunday’s finale against the Astros — which ties a career-high.
Crawford was 10-for-26 (.385) during that span with four runs scored, a double two RBI and a stolen base.
He bumped his season average to .275 after hitting .160 during the first week of the regular season, and has added a boost to the back end of the Mariners’ batting order.
Crawford is batting ninth this season with Haniger taking over the leadoff role, where the shortstop hit much of last year.
“I tip my hat to J.P. for really embracing that, understanding what it can do for this team, and it’s showing up night after night,” Servais said. “The only difference is he gets one less at-bat. That’s it. He’s always hitting in front of Hani and France and Seager.
“Really important spot in our lineup. He’s doing great.”
QUOTABLE
France on having fans back at T-Mobile Park, and their reaction to his game-winning single in Friday’s walk-off win over the Astros in the homestand opener: “That was my first career walk-off hit. That was pretty special. Especially having fans back here, hearing the roar, that was incredible. … It sounds like a full stadium in there. The fans are doing a great job bringing the energy, and it’s so nice having them back.”
ON DECK
The Mariners wrap up their homestand with a two-game series against the defending World Series champion Dodgers on Monday and Tuesday, with left-handers Justus Sheffield and Marco Gonzales scheduled to pitch.
The club then hits the road for an eight-day, eight-game road trip to Boston and Houston.
This story was originally published April 19, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Mariners takeaways: Comeback kids? Seattle has already rallied for 5 come-from-behind wins this season."
