Good, Bad, and Ugly: Mariners’ Offensive Onslaught Continues With 15 Run Explosion vs. Tigers
Oh. Oh my.
The Seattle Mariners built on their offensive onslaught of a dozen runs against the Detroit Tigers on Friday by blowing out the Tigers again on Saturday by a 15-7 score. The win guarantees a series win against a team that currently employs the best record in baseball, and a win Sunday will give them a split of their road trip against Detroit and the New York Yankees.
Let’s take a look at the good, bad and ugly from Saturday’s victory:
Good/Bad: George Kirby
It’s worth pointing out that this game was delayed by inclement weather - more on that in a second - and it appeared to play a factor early on and late. Kirby struggled to find the strike zone in the first frame while allowing a sac fly, and that hour-plus layoff along with a baseball that was likely slippery had to have something to do with it. Kirby deserves the benefit of the doubt in that regard, anyway, based on his previous track record. He also struggled in his final inning while allowing three runs, and I think it’s fair to say that the layoff played a factor in him laboring in that final frame.
In between the first and fifth, however, Kirby was outstanding, and looked like the pitcher that has been so impressive since the middle of June. Five innings of four-run baseball isn’t what anyone is signing up for, and he’d be the first person to tell you that. For the majority of the game, he was so much better than that. There’s no long-term concerns from this one.
Ugly: Another Rain Delay
It’s too late now, and complaining about it doesn’t really do any good. That won’t stop me from doing so.
Build a dang roof. If you play in the Midwest, you should have a roof. I have spoken.
Good: Big Dumper’s Cannon
The Tigers were clearly getting to Kirby in the fifth as mentioned above, and the reason he was able to escape that frame and qualify for that win doesn’t have much to do with him. Instead, it was Cal Raleigh, who caught Spencer Torkelson stealing even on a pitch that was in the dirt that saw him make a perfect throw to nail Torkelson and end the inning.
Raleigh was unable to homer and tie Barry Bonds’ record for homers at the All-Star break, but he was able to drive in a run, drew a walk, and made a major impact with his defense. To say he’s more than just a power hitter is quite the understatement.
Good: The Entire Lineup
Everyone in the lineup had a hit tonight outside of Raleigh. They procured 19 of them while scoring their two touchdowns with a two-point conversion. Dom Canzone went 4-for-5. Ben Williamson picked up three hits and a couple RBI. J.P. Crawford picked up four RBI including a three-run double in the ninth. Randy Arozarena had three hits, blasted a two-run homer, and scored four times. Luke Raley contributed a three-run jack.
Not only did the offense do what they did, they did it against an All-Star in Casey Mize who had given up a total of four runs over his last four starts, and hadn’t given up more than three runs since May 1. To have that kind of offensive effort over two games is one thing, but to do it against Mize and Tarik Skubal? Different story.
Good: Julio Rodriguez
It’s been a while since we’ve seen back-to-back games like this from Rodriguez. After homering off Skubal on Friday, Rodriguez went deep again Saturday but also added a walk, a stolen base, a double and three runs scored.
When I was recently guest-hosting on KJR, I had a chance to talk to Manny Acta about Rodriguez, and what he said has stuck with me: “As Julio goes, we go.” And yes, Raleigh has been the team’s MVP, and yes, Arozarena has been a better offensive player than Rodriguez in 2025. But he’s not wrong. When J-Rod is at his best, there’s a handful - at most - of players who are better in this game. It’s frustrating that in his fourth season he’s not at his best on a more consistent basis, but having a player that can literally carry an offense is an incredible thing to have. The Mariners appear to have two of those right now in Raleigh and Rodriguez. Here’s hoping it continues in July. It has in the past.
This was a massive series win, and even if they don’t get it done Sunday, a 2-4 road trip is one I would have signed up for coming into the week. The fact it’s come with what appears to be a resurgent Rodriguez just adds to that.
