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Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez completes epic MLB feat last done by 1987 Barry Bonds
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- Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez completes epic MLB feat last done by 1987 Barry Bonds
The post Mariners' Julio Rodriguez completes epic MLB feat last done by 1987 Barry Bonds appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Julio Rodriguez may be in the middle of a down season for the Seattle Mariners , but he's the kind of player who can turn it on at a moment's notice. This is exactly what Rodriguez did in powering the Mariners to a three-game series sweep over the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers , with his 2-3 night at the plate with two walks and three runs scored leading Seattle to an 8-4 victory on Sunday in the final game of the set.
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In fact, Rodriguez's heater against the Tigers is not something that many hitters across MLB history have accomplished. The Mariners star center fielder tallied 17 total bases (he went 6-12 from the plate with two doubles and three home runs), four walks, and two stolen bases — stats that only Barry Bonds (in 1987) and Cooperstown inductee Mike Schmidt (in 1975) managed to accomplish over the course of a three-game series, as per OptaSTATS on X (formerly Twitter).
To be in the company of two of the greatest hitters of all-time means that Rodriguez has to be doing something right. The 2025 season has been more challenging than anticipated for him at the plate, but his all-around contributions have been keeping his value steady — and now, his hitting production is catching up to everything he's doing for the Mariners in all facets of the ball.
Rodriguez wasted no time making his mark on Sunday, as he scored the Mariners' first run of the ballgame with a line drive home run to right field off of a low-outside fastball from Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty . He then piled on the Tigers' misery with a run-scoring double in the ninth, extending their lead beyond the Tigers' reach.
This explosive level of play from Rodriguez is exactly what the Mariners need as they continue to chase the Houston Astros in the AL West standings.
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Mariners heat up heading into the All-Star break
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
On cue, the Mariners' first series following the All-Star break will be against the Astros, a team that simply won't give up their stranglehold on the AL West division even after undergoing many changes to their roster heading into 2025.
Perhaps adding another bullpen piece or two would be helpful for the Mariners, and so would some continued improvement from Rodriguez. But if anything, Seattle will be relying on Cal Raleigh to continue hitting the cover off the baseball, as he already has 38 dingers on the season at the All-Star break — making a 60-home run year a possibility.
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