Three takeaways from the Mariners’ series-opening win over Texas
The Seattle Mariners (24-32) ended a six-game skid with a 6-2 win over Texas on Monday night at T-Mobile Park.
Here are three takeaways from the win.
1. MALLEX STEALS HOME
Mariners center fielder Mallex Smith stole home for the second time in his career in the eighth inning, giving Seattle its final four-run lead, and wrapping up what seemed like his most complete game of the season.
Smith stole both second and third in the eighth, before Mitch Haniger drew a one-out walk. Smith said his first thought as Haniger trotted to first was about a possible opportunity to steal home. When Texas reliever Kyle Bird attempted a pickoff move on Haniger at first, Smith took off, and beat the throw.
“I tell everybody, the No. 1 best way to be a good base stealer is to be aggressive,” said Smith, who has swiped 12 bags this season. “You can’t be afraid to get thrown out. ... You have to toe the line between crazy and stupid.”
Smith also had a pair of base hits, scored twice, drove in a run and stole a career-high four bases in the game, including the three in the eighth. He became the first Mariner since Dustin Ackley in 2012 to bag home, and matched the club record for single-game steals, becoming the seventh player in Seattle’s history to bag four bases in one game.
“It was great to see Mallex get going,” Servais said. “I’ve never seen it before. I’ve never seen anybody steal three bases in one inning. It was great. Good for him. Get a little momentum, some confidence going there.”
2. VOGELBACH GOES UPPER DECK
Designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach said the ball was flying for him in batting practice Monday afternoon. It was flying in the game, too. With Seattle clinging to a one-run lead in the seventh, Vogelbach launched a two-out, two-run homer into the upper deck in right field.
“Way back,” Smith said. “Interesting thing about that is he did it earlier in BP. Third deck, and then followed it up with the game.”
Vogelbach’s team-leading 15th homer of the season, off Texas reliever Jose Leclerc, just cleared the foul pole, and was upheld on replay review, becoming what is believed to be the third homer hit to the third deck in park history.
“It was just a curveball over the plate, and I was able to ride it out and keep it fair,” Vogelbach said. “I’m just happy that I could drive two runs in and put a little insurance on the board for us.”
“When it’s warmer here the ball does carry,” Servais said. “In batting practice today, Vogey hit one ball up in the upper deck and I was like, ‘Wow, the ball is just jumping.’ He’s like, ‘I figured something out.’ He figured something out, I guess. But, for the ball to go over the top of the foul pole like that, that’s some kind of special power. He hit the crap out of it.”
3. FIRST WIN FOR MILONE
Before Seattle’s late theatrics, starter Tommy Milone (1-1, 3.38 ERA) worked a solid 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (both earned) on four hits, while striking out seven and walking one on 80 pitches.
He left in the sixth with a 3-2 lead, and earned his first win of the season, and first since last August when he pitched for the Nationals. Milone made his season debut against the Rangers last week, and took the loss despite allowing just two earned runs in five innings.
“I think there’s a benefit for both sides,” Milone said. “Obviously they just saw me. They can kind of pull tendencies. I think that’s the one thing I tried to stay away from this time around was just being predictable. Just move the ball around, change speeds and keep them off-balance.”
Milone struck out six in his first three innings, working 1-2-3 frames in the first in third. He stranded Logan Forsythe at third in the second, after allowing a one-out double. The Rangers strung together multiple hits in an inning just once against Milone, in the one-run fourth, and scored their only other run on a one-out solo shot to straightaway center by Ronald Guzman in the fifth.
Milone said, despite pitching against Texas last week, he was able to consistently go to his changeup to keep the Rangers off-balance.
“That’s basically my bread and butter,” Milone said. “I think in Texas I wasn’t getting a lot of downward action with it. It was still a good pitch, I was still able to get them to be out in front on it, but today it was more of a swing-and-miss changeup, so I was happy with it.”
This story was originally published May 27, 2019 at 10:56 PM.
