On Sunday, Mariners rookie Julio Rodríguez did something remarkable: He hit a home run.
The three-run blast was notable not only because it was the first in the highly-touted rookie’s big-league career, but because it gave Seattle a 5–0 lead over the Marlins, which would be more than enough in an eventual 7–3 victory. To date, Rodríguez and fellow top outfield prospect, Jarred Kelenic, haven’t adapted quickly to big-league pitching. But it hasn’t much mattered, because this year’s Mariners lineup has done something last year’s largely couldn’t: score runs in bunches.
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The Mariners surprised many last year by winning 90 games and staying in the American League playoff hunt until the last day of the regular season.