Julio puts Mariners on his back with FIVE-hit, FIVE-RBI game

KANSAS CITY -- Julio Rodríguez had seen enough when stepping to the plate for the fifth time on Thursday afternoon.

The Mariners -- himself included -- had made three outs on the basepaths, and were seemingly on their way to defeat against a last-place team that has played them as tensely as any opponent all season. So he emphatically -- and quite literally -- took matters into his own hands, demolishing the first pitch he saw off Royals reliever Carlos Hernández for a 438-foot, three-run homer that lifted the Mariners to a 6-4 win at Kauffman Stadium.

It was Rodríguez’s fifth hit of the day, a new career high, and his 20th homer of the year, making him the first player in franchise history to club that many in each of his first two seasons. He also drove in all five runs, which tied a career high, before Cal Raleigh crushed a pinch-hit insurance homer in the ninth.

“I was really proud and grateful that I was able to do that for the team,” Rodríguez said.

For all the ups and downs in this topsy-turvy series, Rodríguez has shined throughout, finishing the four-game set 12-for-21 with a homer, three doubles, 11 RBIs, three stolen bases and just four strikeouts.

Moreover, his nine hits the past two days are the most in any two-game span in MLB this season. With that, he became just the fourth player in franchise history with four hits in consecutive contests, joining Dee Strange-Gordon, Kendrys Morales and Ichiro Suzuki, who did so thrice.

“He's such a special talent,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “And when he gets rolling, he can really carry a team -- and I think we’re all real heavy on his back right now. Awesome game.”

Beyond Thursday’s heroics, Rodríguez drove in the decisive run in the ninth on Wednesday, giving Matt Brash the cushion to overcome a K.C. homer and notch his second save. Brash then recorded his third with a 1-2-3 ninth inning on Thursday, pushing the Mariners to a season-high-tying 11 games above .500 (66-55) and pulling within a half-game of idle Toronto for the final AL Wild Card spot.

For all his challenges in clutch moments earlier this year, Rodríguez seems to have cleared them. When coming to the plate in the seventh inning or later and the game within two runs in August, he’s hitting .412/.500/.647 (1.147 OPS). He had a far worse OPS in those sequences in April (.377), May (.627) and June (.604) before hitting his stride in July (.964), when his turnaround began.

A contributing cause? A recent mechanical adjustment through consultation with Mariners hitting coach and director of hitting strategy Jarret DeHart, who noted that Rodríguez has a wider stance and stronger base to start. This creates more load from the bottom up and eliminates unnecessary movements en route to reaching his hitting position.

Thursday’s results were a prime example -- especially the homer, on a 97 mph fastball on his hands against a reliever who was just brought in to face him.

“It simplifies things,” Rodríguez said of the adjustment. “Basically, your eyes are a little more clear. ... It feels like you did everything you could to put yourself in that position and just kind of trust it. Once you step to the plate, you're trusting that you're going to get the job done.”

Another example was his double in the sixth inning, when he yanked a high-and-in fastball 110.5 mph off the bat, scorching it over the left fielder's head. Yet he was forced to slow up around the basepaths as he approached Dominic Canzone, who was thrown out at the plate attempting to score from first. Rodríguez, who was picked off in the fourth, was visibly frustrated on third base.

Dylan Moore represented the other out on the basepaths when he flied out to MJ Melendez. Or so he thought, as K.C.'s left fielder dropped the ball after Moore crossed the bag. Believing he was caught out, Moore retreated to the dugout, and first-base umpire John Libka called him out, per rule 5.09(b)(2): “Any runner is out when, after touching first base, he leaves the base path, obviously abandoning his effort to touch the next base.”

“We have not played clean baseball. ... We need to tighten that up, there’s no question about it,” Servais said. “But again, our offense -- which hadn't been the case all year -- was able to overcome it. But we know we're not going to be able to continue to play like that.”

But it certainly helps with their best player as locked in as ever.

“Thank God for Julio,” said George Kirby, who threw six innings and surrendered four runs. “He’s incredible. ... I would’ve hated to have been the opposing pitcher this week.”