Kelenic's breakout Game 1 offers hope for turnaround

HOUSTON -- This hasn’t been a straight, simple path to the postseason for Jarred Kelenic.

Optioned twice to Triple-A as he struggled to hit at the Major League level, Kelenic now finds himself back in a regular role with the Mariners on the biggest stage. Seattle’s heartbreaking, 8-7 loss in Game 1 showed just how crucial each run is, and for the Mariners to win, they’ll need Kelenic to be part of this.

Kelenic got his current shot late in the season when Julio Rodriguez hit the IL, and he’s since shifted from center to left upon Rodriguez’s return. What’s expected from Rodriguez now, a genuine superstar, was once expected from Kelenic, baseball’s No. 4 prospect entering the ‘21 season. That hasn’t happened, but October is where poor seasons can be quickly forgotten.

Still just 23, Kelenic’s offensive focus this season has been on the mental side. How he translates his Triple-A success to the big leagues is still the million-dollar question, but he believes he’s taking a more focused approach into Game 2 than he would have had earlier this summer.

? Postseason ticket information

“It was my thought process on a lot of things,” Kelenic said. “Understanding distractions, good ones and bad ones. Learning how to recognize the bad ones and eliminate them. That was the biggest thing. This game's hard enough, and any time you're up there not focusing a hundred percent of your attention on what the pitcher's trying to do to you and just attacking the game, it makes it that much harder.”

Kelenic’s 2-for-4 night in Game 1 was important, but there are so many other ways he can impact the game.

That’s what makes the Mariners the best version of themselves when they’re winning, a complete approach in all phases that doesn’t lean on one individual player.

“Up and down the lineup, the guys were on it,” manager Scott Servais said Wednesday. “You can't ask for any more. We got a key double play turned in the 7th inning. Our defense, Kelenic made a nice play on a ball that was roped to left field to him. The guys were in the right spots. We executed the game plan perfectly, a just didn't get it done in the 8th and 9th inning. It happens in baseball.”

Kelenic made a key play on the bases early, too.

After singling off Justin Verlander in the second inning, Kelenic tagged from first and advanced to second on a deep fly ball off the bat of J.P. Crawford. It was an aggressive play, but a smart one, setting Kelenic up to score when Rodriguez scorched a 113.3-mph double in the very next at-bat.

These aren’t the loudest, flashiest moments, but they’re another way that Kelenic can push this team forward from the bottom of the lineup.

“Especially in games like this, that extra 90 feet matters,” Kelenic said. “You know, any time you can take an extra 90 feet, that could be the difference between winning the game and losing. We all know that in that clubhouse. And so if there's any chance that we can get an extra 90 feet, get somebody in scoring.”

Kelenic also has a unique feel for the stages this club has gone through. After opening the year in the Majors, Kelenic was demoted in mid-May and came back up to the big leagues in late July. He went back to Triple-A two weeks later, only to return for the stretch run. Each time, Kelenic noticed, the club’s confidence has noticeably shifted.

It’s the same energy that left Servais wholly confident that his club would bounce back for Game 2, even with the bitter taste of Tuesday’s walk-off loss still fresh.

“Anybody that's watched us all year long knows how resilient this group is,” Servais said. “We've had our backs against the wall and it's one game. Five-game series are not won with one game, OK? It certainly helps. It puts you in a better position, there's no question about it. But we'll come back out tomorrow. We'll play a good game. I’m very confident of that. I know the makeup of this club as good as anybody and I feel very strongly about it.”

Coming back from a 1-0 deficit against the mighty Astros doesn’t happen easily. It takes more than just Rodriguez, and more than just Game 2 starter Luis Castillo. The Mariners’ ticket back into this series is a complete effort from a complete team, and Kelenic has his shot to be part of that.