SEATTLE – Say this about the 2021 Mariners, who held their top spot on Friday: win or lose, they make just about any game interesting and bring them all to the wire.
Seattle rallied three runs behind for the fourth time in this young season, then scored its second walk when Ty France singled into the right-midfield gap that bounced over the fence and JP Crawford scored in the ninth. after the short stop began with a walk. That followed a game-tying homer by Evan White in the eighth inning, which brought in some much-needed production from the bottom half of the line-up.
That’s because it was the usual suspects – France, Mitch Haniger and Kyle Seager – who slowly started mini-rallies for two runs in the sixth and seventh innings each. The top three batters in the Seattle line-up hit a combined 6-for-12 with five of the club’s six RBI’s on Friday, giving the Mariners only their fifth victory in their last 30 games against the Astros.
“We know the type of group we are,” said France. “We’re not going to come out and hit a lot of homers and win games like that. We’re a team that has to scrap it together. It takes those walks from JP, those innings that get going. Late in the game, that’s huge for us. And the energy in the dugout never changed the whole game, which was nice to be there. “
The second half of the ninth heat was exactly how Mariners manager Scott Servais fielded it in Spring Training.
Yeah, sort of. Servais didn’t wave a crystal ball six weeks ago to reveal that the Mariners would get their best hitters on the board against an Astros club that has had Seattle’s number since early 2019.
But the construction of the line-up was conducive to the comeback. It started with Crawford, who hits hole 9 every day and started with a walk. The short stop was the regular leadoff hitter for the Mariners last year and he started playing Cactus League in that spot.
But Haniger’s return posed a more powerful threat at the top of the order, and moving Crawford all the way down essentially keeps him in a lead mentality, as he strikes right in front of Haniger when the lineup turns. But Crawford loses one at bat per game with this construction, and the 26-year old short stop needed a buy-in to be more effective.
Crawford was only 5-for-39 in Spring Training and was in a 4-for-25 funk to start the regular season. But he now has a seven-game hit streak after hitting 1-for-3 with a walk on Friday.
“It’s so, so important at this club, and you saw it play in the ninth inning tonight,” said Servais. “I tip JP because he really embraces that, understands what it can do for this team, and it pops up every night. The only difference is that he gets one less at bat – that’s it. He’s always hitting for Hani and France and Seager, so it’s a very important place in our lineup, and he’s doing a great job. “
After Crawford walked, the stakes were even higher for Astros-reliever Ryne Stanek. A speedster on first base with no outs and the hot-hitting Haniger – who had his second three-hit game of the week – led to another walk in the sixteen, with only four pitches. Haniger has reached base in all 14 games this year, hitting 13 of them.
And that set the tone for France, which, after a pitching change to Ryan Pressley, ambushed a 95.7 mph fastball above the strike zone for the game winner.
Haniger and Seager are veterans and one-time All-Stars, so their production is expected. But France has been by far the offensive headliner among the young fundamental pieces that will be here for years to come. Friday marked another victory with the name of France stamped on it.
“He’s got swagger,” said White. He trusts himself. He’s having fun. It seems like he always has good bats no matter the situation. He really has faith in himself and believes in himself. And I think that’s pretty contagious. “
Call them the comeback kids during the two-week mark of the season. The Mariners are outpaced 23-49 in the first five innings, but are better than the opponents, 39-21, in the sixth inning and later. That has been a huge factor in their first place.