Something had to change.
Something did.
Julio Rodriguez has moved up to the leadoff spot in the Mariners batting order for the pivotal Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at T-Mobile Park Friday afternoon.
Manager Dan Wilson moved Rodriguez from batting third to first, and moved previous leadoff batter Randy Arozarena to fifth in the order. They were facing Toronto starter Kevin Gausman for the second time in the series in Game 5, trying to move Seattle to one win away from their first World Series.
The Mariners were out-scored 21-6 in losing Games 3 and 4 at home Wednesday and Thursday. Those blowouts erased the 2-0 series lead the Mariners had earned winning the first two games in Toronto Sunday and Monday.
“Against a guy we’ve faced before, hopefully this is a chance to try to jump-start things offensively,” Wilson said of Gausman on the field at the end of batting practice Friday.
This is the first time Rodriguez has batted leadoff since July 28; he went 0 for 4 that day against the Athletics. Then the Mariners acquired third baseman Eugenio Suarez for the middle of their lineup, in trade with Arizona. Wilson then moved Rodriguez to third, behind Cal Raleigh. Arozarena settled into the leadoff position over the final two months of the regular season.
Rodriguez has 127 career regular-season starts batting first. That’s his third-most frequent spot in the lineup over his the three-time All-Star center fielder’s four major-league seasons, all with Seattle.
“Oh, yeah, he’s been there before. I don’t think it’s out of the ordinary,” Wilson said.
“We’ve got a two-out-of-three series at this point. We want to try to create the offense that we can.”
Rodriguez entered Friday batting .222 (8 for 36) this postseason, with one double, three home runs, eight RBIs and six walks for an OPS of .833 in 42 plate appearance. All of that was while batting third. He hit home runs as the third batter of the game in the first inning of Seattle’s win in Game 2 in Toronto Monday, and again to begin Game 3 in Seattle Wednesday.
The Mariners entered Friday having scored first in eight of their nine postseason games. That’s the most in the major leagues during these playoffs.
Yet Seattle was only 4-4 in those games with quick, early leads.
Mariners Game 5 lineup
CF Julio Rodriguez
C Cal Raleigh
DH Jorge Polanco
1B Josh Naylor
LF Randy Arozarena
3B Eugenio Suarez
SS J.P. Crawford
RF Dominic Canzone
2B Leo Rivas
P Bryce Miller
