TERRY MOSHER
NELSON CRUZ
What is happening with the Seattle Mariners that they are upsetting the contact-hitting, run and play defense plan that new general manager Jerry Dipoto put in place?
I mean, this is implausible that this team is hitting home runs at an incredible rate and are second in all of baseball behind only Baltimore in ding-dongs. Headed into today’s game at Safeco, Baltimore had hit 127 home runs and the Mariners have 122.
And for those of us who thought it was difficult to hit home runs at Safeco, the Mariners are also second in baseball to Baltimore in that, too, 68-64.
So far, six Mariners have hit double figures in homers – Nelson Cruz 21, Robinson Cano 19, Kyle Seager 16, Adam Lind 12, Leonys Martin 11, and Dae-Ho Lee 11 – with Seth Smith at nine.
You would expect Cruz and Seager to be in double figures, and maybe Cano, but c’mon, six of them?
What is going on?
Somebody better check the bats for cork.
Hey, just kidding on that one. But this is remarkable for that many to be hitting home runs at this rate, and for Safeco all of a sudden taking a bleacher-seating pounding from well-hit baseballs.
For the record, Lind has hit nine of his homers at Safeco, and Smith has seven there, and is hitting .312 at Safeco.
We are exactly at the halfway point of the season (81 games) and the Mariners with a 42-39 record reside 9.5 games and in third place behind Texas in the American League West.
It will be interesting to see what happens when the Mariners get their starting pitching healthy. If they continue to pound the baseball, this could be an exciting summer for baseball in the region.
Now go out and enjoy the Fourth of July weekend.
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great day.
You are loved.
