'We got it done tonight': Changes paying off for Mariners

ATLANTA -- The Mariners’ offense is at its best when grinding out opposing pitching, forcing its way into bullpens, executing when situational hitting opportunities mount and homering with runners on base.

Get all that?

It’s not as complex as it sounds, and that’s precisely what Seattle drew up in a much-needed 7-3 win over the National League-leading Braves on Saturday at Truist Park, which has the club on the cusp of a winning record on this three-city road trip and back to .500 overall. Benefiting from Atlanta deploying a bullpen game, the Mariners tagged six Braves pitchers for nine hits, five walks and a hit-by-pitch.

Here are a few encouraging signs that stood out from what’s been an inconsistent Seattle lineup.

The three-spot in the 4th
Trailing 2-0 and with momentum firmly in the Braves’ favor, the Mariners quietly executed some sound situational hitting in the fourth. Jarred Kelenic and Eugenio Suárez each singled, then Teoscar Hernández reached on a blunder by shortstop Orlando Arcia to load the bases with no outs.

In the type of sequence where the lineup often has pressed, instead Taylor Trammell singled, Jose Caballero hit a 376-foot sacrifice fly and J.P. Crawford, who extended his on-base streak to 16 games with a walk in the third, ripped an RBI knock for his 500th career hit. The Mariners were in business -- and they didn’t let up.

In the fifth, Julio Rodríguez drew a leadoff walk and Kelenic singled, putting runners on second and third after Ronald Acuña Jr.’s throwing error. Then, Suárez punched a 328-foot sacrifice fly and Hernández followed with an RBI single to create a three-run cushion, necessary given Atlanta’s power potential.

“There were probably four or five situational at-bats where we haven't been very efficient in those, but we got it done tonight,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “It just makes the offense roll, and it takes the pressure off the next guy.”

Julio’s three walks
Rodríguez was moved down in the lineup 10 days ago mostly to ease the pressure of batting leadoff, but his .271 on-base percentage at the time also had made him unideal for the role. Batting third on Saturday, Rodríguez drew a career-high three free passes, two of which led to him scoring.

He saw 28 total pitches, second most in his 175 career games and the most of anyone in Saturday’s game. Rodríguez’s batting average since moving out of leadoff is .229, but his OBP is .341.

“That's what we need to see out of Julio,” Servais said. “The hits will come, there's no question about that. But swinging at the right pitches was huge for him."

The big blast in the 7th
After his final walk, Rodríguez stole second base and was in striking distance for Suárez, who crushed a 432-foot homer to straightaway center for the dagger. After recently making a mechanical and mental adjustment at the plate, Suárez has homered twice on this road trip after hitting just three in his 37 games prior.

Suárez led the team with 31 home runs last year, and Seattle’s success moving into summer will hinge on him replicating moments like Saturday’s -- hitting the long ball, but more so with runners on.

“I know that I have power, and I know that I can hit homers. So I don't try to hit homers, and I don't try to hit it too hard,” Suárez said. “I just believe in myself and try to put my best swing on it."

Don’t forget about Gilbert
Four pitches into his start, Logan Gilbert was down 2-0 after surrendering a leadoff single to Acuña and a two-run homer to Matt Olson. For a pitcher who has elite stuff but can be susceptible to hard contact, it looked like things could spiral. But just as Bryce Miller did the night prior, Gilbert dug in and allowed only three baserunners the rest of the way over six innings, retiring 15 in a row at one point.

How? The elite effectiveness of his splitter, the pitch he added in Spring Training but has thrown only sparingly since. Gilbert threw it 25 times and used it for six of his nine punchouts.

“Just based off their swings, too, I mean, they hit the fastball hard and they did it early,” Gilbert said. “So we knew we had to mix it up and try to get it in there, and I had a pretty good feel for it.”

As has been covered regularly, if the Mariners continue to receive performances like Gilbert’s and more consistent offense, the trajectory could quickly trend up.