So, it was established that the Mariners needed lineup help. Obviously the rotation was perfectly fine, they didn't need any additions. The bullpen needed one or two guys, Yimi Garcia helps, but no, this team NEEDED to fix the hitting, or else the Astros would embarrass them again. So they got Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner and hoped that this would be enough to keep them in the race.
Funnily enough, help came in the form of a guy that was just cut last month for refusing to hit. So...Victor Robles was actually to be OF SERVICE to someone in 2024, 5 years after the 2019 season, where he was last deemed useful.
I dunno, Robles I think is one of those Jekyll and Hyde players who just won't work for a while until suddenly he does. The Nats had two of those at once the last 5 years. Robles and Carter Kieboom. And now they just have Kieboom, because they became fed up with Robles' tomfoolery this year, after hitting .120 in 14 games. So he gets cut, and then the Mariners pick him up, and he suddenly starts hitting .300 again. It's...incredible.
Right now, Robles has a .310 average with 6 RBIs, 11 steals and 31 hits in 40 games. In this stretch, that's some of the best hitting in Seattle. Obviously there have been improvements, and you're seeing people like Luke Raley and ESPECIALLY Jorge Polanco heat up during the second half. But it's really been Robles, of all people, who's become one of the sparks in this lineup. Cal Raleigh's still hitting well, Ryan Bliss is finally figuring out the majors, but...the masses want Robles. Mariners fans seem to really like Robles. I don't know how long it's gonna last, but...here he is. The hero. This guy.
[and as I say that he hasn't gotten a hit in 3 games, so he could be reverting back to his old self].
It's also been a great start to Randy Arozarena's Mariners era, as he's hitting .279 with 12 hits in as many games, including 2 RBIs and a homer. Something we didn't see a lot from Arozarena in Tampa this year was contact accuracy. And now he can just get hits whenever. I think the M's just broke him out of his funk, which is nice, cause he now plays for a team that I actually like. Let him hit a ton of homers for the Mariners, odds are most of them won't be against the Yankees.
This is an improvement from where the Mariners were before, and I'm hoping they build on this and reaffirm themselves as a first place team. The Astros are chomping at the bit to repeat, and it'd be nice if this Mariners team had more to say about it.
Coming Tonight: Baltimore, it seems, was a bad fit for this guy. LA seems to suit him much better.
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