And suddenly, at the start of a tepid June, the Mariners’ bats have kindly heated up.
To scorching measurements.
This three-game display of run scoring, capped by Seattle’s 7-1 series-sweeping victory over Tampa Bay on Sunday, wasn’t aided by the dry heat of Texas, or against Houston’s porous pitching staff of a few years ago.
The Mariners scored 28 runs against one of the best pitching staffs in the American League in the Rays.
And they came about in every way possible – grand slam home runs, multiple run-scoring doubles and singles, even a wild pitch Sunday at Safeco Field.