Victor Robles, Justin Turner spark Mariners offense early against Phillies
SEATTLE – The team that limped out of town eight days ago, beaten up on the mound, underachieving at the plate and losers of five of six games, returned to Seattle on Friday night following 4-2 road trip that featured a different-looking roster, a legitimate offensive production and a little more spice.
Wait, offensive production? Spice?
The Mariners opened a nine-game, 10-day home stand, debuting their post-trade deadline team to home fans, which manager Scott Servais says features a little more “spice” with four acquisitions, and delivered one of their most dominant wins of the season, trouncing the Phillies 10-2.
It was the third time in their past seven games the Mariners have scored double-digit runs and the sixth time they’ve scored more than six runs.
Victor Robles, who sat out Wednesday’s frustrating loss in Boston due to a sore hip flexor, set the offensive tone for the warm and somewhat muggy evening, turning the first pitch thrown by Philly starter Tyler Phillips into a towering homer into the upper deck in left field.
But it wasn’t just the impressiveness of the blast, but Robles’ reaction. He knew the ball was gone at contact. He flung his bat, turned and yelled at the dugout in celebration before even thinking of running.
Then came the interminable bottom of the second that Phillips couldn’t finish.
After retiring Josh Rojas, Phillips walked Dylan Moore and gave up a single to Mitch Haniger. Phillips fell behind 2-0 to Luke Raley and fired a hittable sinker that was fouled off. The missed opportunity had Raley shaking his head in disgust. It’d been a familiar trend for the past month
In 22 games in July, Raley produced a .129/.247/.257 slash line with three doubles, two homers, six RBIs, three walks and 25 strikeouts.
But any irritation from not capitalizing on the 2-0 pitch was quickly erased when Phillips left a sinker that was the definition of middle-middle in the strike zone.
Raley didn’t miss the “cookie,” as players like to call it. His violent swing from the left side, produced a fly ball that just kept climbing as it went to right field. It landed in the lap of a fan sitting in the first row of the highest deck in right field for a three-run homer.
Per MLB Statcast, the blast was 459 feet with a 115.4 mph exit velocity. It was the second-longest homer of his career and the hardest-hit ball of his career.
By Statcast data, it was tied with Nelson Cruz for the second-longest homer by a Mariners player in T-Mobile Park history. The most recent player to hit a ball into the third deck of T-Mobile was Shohei Ohtani in 2021 off Marco Gonzales.
But the inning was just getting started.
Phillips came back to strike out Leo Rivas for the second out. He didn’t record a third out. Robles singled to center, Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh each worked walks to load the bases.
Justin Turner, one of those “spicy” acquisitions, took advantage of a hanging slider from Phillips to end his outing. Turned launched the mistake over the visitors bullpen for a grand slam.
The outing mercifully came to an end for Phillips. In 1⅔ innings, he allowed eight runs on five hits, with three walks, one strikeout and three homers – one to the upper deck in left, one to the upper deck in right and a grand slam.
The seven-run second inning and 8-0 lead gave Seattle starter Bryan Woo more than enough run support.
And he responded with his best outing of the season, pitching seven shutout innings, allowing five hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Facing a daunting lineup, Woo fired fastballs and Phillies hitters looking to hit fastballs and got outs.