Beckham hits grand slam, plenty more Mariners make offensive contributions in rout of Tigers
This was viewed as a “step back” season long before the Seattle Mariners ever took the field this spring. They weren’t supposed to win many games, and they haven’t. They weren’t supposed to make the playoffs, and they’re all but out of it before August. The proven veterans acquired in the offseason to fill out the major league roster as the Mariners geared up for the future that is still a couple years away, weren’t supposed to stick, and they haven’t.
But, as Seattle plays out the final two months of another lost season filled with injuries and roster moves that happen almost daily, manager Scott Servais has started regularly referring to this season as something else than a “step back.” Instead, it has become one of “opportunity” for younger players, and even some older, to show major league worth.
And, there have been some promising returns from players who, without these circumstances, might not even be on a big league roster. This was especially evident Thursday night, when the Mariners routed Detroit, 10-2, in their series opener at T-Mobile Park.
The Tigers do have the worst winning percentage in baseball, but Seattle (43-63) is starting to see consistent contributions from a handful of players who didn’t start the season with the club, or haven’t been regular starters.
“It feels really good, man,” said Tim Beckham, who has made scattered appearances the past few months. “One through nine we’re having good at-bats, and we just want to ride it out, take it one day at a time and finish the season playing good baseball.”
Beckham, the former starting shortstop whose playing time was limited when J.P. Crawford was called up from Triple-A Tacoma in May, gave the Mariners a commanding 5-1 lead in the third, crushing his second grand slam of the season to left after falling behind 0-2.
“It’s a good feeling,” Beckham said. “It’s definitely a good feeling anytime you can score the big run early. Anytime you can bust the game open a little bit … is great for the team.”
Crawford, Seattle’s shortstop of the future, seemed to break out of his recent troubles at the plate, and had a pair of hits, including an RBI triple. He’s now hit safely in four consecutive games, including two multi-hit games in the last week.
“He’s learning playing every day at the big league level, and what that takes out of you physically,” Servais said. “He’s dragging a little bit. I know he’s getting hits and he’s playing really good defensively, but you have to learn how to play through it, and that’s part of going through every day at this level, certainly with the travel and everything else that goes on. He continues to grind it out.”
Though Kyle Seager spent the first few months of the season on the injured list, and has watched his average dip below .200 in the 50 games he has played, he’s regrouped some in the past week, has an active four-game hitting streak, and added a pair of hits on a double and a solo shot to right center in the fifth that pushed Seattle’s lead to 8-2.
“Kyle was on the fastball tonight,” Servais said. “That’s one thing with trying to simplify things a little bit. Kyle likes to get into his mechanics and how he’s feeling at the plate, and sometimes instead of being so internal (he needs to) get external, get on the fastball. That’s what he’s starting to do, and he put some good swings on it tonight.”
Austin Nola is hitting a team-high .333 since his promotion from Tacoma in June, and chipped in a single and double as the Mariners piled up nine hits on Detroit.
Filling in for injured second baseman Dee Gordon, Tim Lopes, in his first big league start, sparked the dugout by scoring a pair of runs, and at one point helped turn a bases-loaded, inning-ending double play.
“Energy is contagious and we want to keep it going,” Beckham said.
Lopes walked and was hit by a pitch in his first two plate appearances, and came around to score each time. He stayed in the game after Drew VerHagen’s 91-mph fastball collided with his left ear flap in the fourth, causing his helmet to bounce off his head. He eventually scored his second run on Crawford’s triple, but was removed from the game later, and entered concussion protocol.
“He got smoked pretty good,” Servais said. “When he came out at the end ... his jaw was stiffened up. He was a little sore. We’ve got to keep a close eye on that one. ... Certainly we’ll check on him tonight and see how he is tomorrow morning when he comes in.”
The Mariners never trailed after the five-run third inning that quickly wiped away an early deficit. They loaded the bases with one out before Daniel Vogelbach hit into what should have been an inning-ending double play. Instead, Tigers second baseman Niko Goodrum bobbled the soft grounder, Lopes scored to make it 1-1 and everyone was safe. Beckham’s grand slam, his 15th homer of the season, came three pitches later.
“Those plays sway the game,” Servais said of the error. “You have to make them. … When they give you an extra out you’ve got to take advantage of it. We’ve certainly given teams extra outs this year, and it’s hurt us.”
Crawford’s triple down the right field line, his third of the season, scored Lopes again the following inning, and Omar Narvaez hit a ground-rule double to right center to plate Crawford. Vogelbach added a two-out double off the left field wall in the eighth that scored Dylan Moore and Crawford to make it 10-2.
“We put a lot of pressure on them, and we continued to add on after that,” Servais said. “A lot of good things there offensively.”
The Mariners got what they needed out of rookie Erik Swanson, who made his second appearance as an opener since being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma last week, in the first two innings. After allowing two earned runs in his first try as the opener against Oakland, Swanson walked Detroit’s first batter, then retired six straight, including notching three strikeouts.
He’s one of few Seattle has auditioned in the role this season to complete his outing without digging the Mariners and early hole, and one of fewer to do it working multiple innings.
Wade LeBlanc followed Swanson, and earned the win, tossing six complete innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits while walking one and striking out four on 86 pitches. He settled in after allowing a leadoff solo homer to John Hicks in the third, and calmly worked out of the bases-loaded jam in the fifth. LeBlanc didn’t labor much otherwise, retiring the final 10 batters he faced in order.
This story was originally published July 25, 2019 at 9:57 PM.
