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Julio Rodríguez's clutch homer powers Mariners to big win over Rangers

Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times on

Published in Baseball

SEATTLE — The unmistakable sound of a baseball being impacted by a wood bat at a high rate of speed and with maximum force resonated in an empty T-Mobile Park.

Hours before Thursday afternoon’s first pitch in the series finale versus the Rangers, Julio Rodríguez was on the field taking early batting practice with his close friend Franmy Reyes tossing pitches to him.

There was an intent and purpose to the early work. Rodríguez wasn’t just crushing baseballs for distance. He was searching for a feeling on his swing, a launch angle and direction on the balls off his bat and consistency with each rep.

Mired in a funk at the plate during the time of the season where he’s usually the hottest, Rodríguez has been searching for something that hasn’t been there since May.

Perhaps, he found it again.

His three-run homer off Rangers reliever Jakob Junis punctuated the Mariners’ seventh-inning rally and proved to be the difference in a 4-3 victory over the Rangers.

The Mariners took two of three in the series against the Rangers, one of two teams they are trying to chase down in the American League West.

After being stymied for the first six innings by Rangers starter Jacob deGrom, the Mariners were happy to see anyone else take the mound in the seventh.

 

Given the ball with a 3-0 lead, Junis hit Randy Arozarena with a pitch to start his troubles. A wild pitch moved Arozarena into scoring position and Dom Canzone drove in Seattle’s first run with a single to left.

Cal Raleigh followed with a single to center to bring Rodríguez to the plate.

Rodríguez ambushed the first pitch he saw, a 93-mph sinker to the lower inside part of the plate, sending a line drive into the Rangers bullpen.

DeGrom tossed six shutout innings, allowing just one run — a single from Cole Young — while striking out 12 batters with no walks.

The Mariners couldn’t produce a base runner over the first five innings against deGrom, struggling to even put balls in play.

DeGrom struck out of the first nine batters he faced over the first three innings.

Logan Gilbert got the win, working seven innings and allowing three runs on three hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts.


©2026 The Seattle Times. Visit seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

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