Zunino stays hot, hits three homers vs. Brewers

March 22nd, 2018

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Mike Zunino might want to save some of these up, but the Mariners catcher is clearly locked in, as he hit home runs in his first three at-bats in Wednesday night's 7-4 victory over the Brewers at Peoria Stadium.
Zunino became the first Mariners player to hit three homers in a Cactus League game since against the Cubs on March 27, 2016. Though no official Spring Training statistics are held, it's not believed that any Mariners player has hit four home runs in a spring game.
"He's pretty good," manager Scott Servais said. "He's in a good spot right now. Outstanding at-bats, and he's done a great job behind the plate. He's ready to go. He's ready for Opening Day."
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Zunino went 4-for-4 with five RBIs, and he has five home runs in 36 at-bats this spring. He hit two-run homers in the second and fourth innings, then added a solo shot in the sixth.
Over his last five games, Zunino is 11-for-16 with four home runs, a double and 10 RBIs.

The 26-year-old, who hit a career-high 25 homers last season while batting .251, said he's never had a three-homer game at any level.
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"I'm just trying to feel my swing some more," Zunino said. "It's been coming along, and I'm just trying to build off last year and this spring. It's feeling better."
Zunino had a chance at a fourth homer, but he singled sharply to right-center field in his final at-bat in the eighth. Yet he insisted that might have been his best at-bat of the night.
"Me using right-center is the biggest thing I'm trying to do," Zunino said. "Obviously driving balls out there, but that single, if I had to pick an at-bat that I wanted to bottle up, it's that one. To get to 3-2, put a good swing on the ball and hit a ball on the line that way means things are in a good place."

Of course, there is another way to look at things.
"I'd save that for the season," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.