J-Rod's big night shows he's ready to hit from anywhere

DETROIT -- In the visiting dugout on Friday afternoon before the Mariners’ 9-2 win over the Tigers at Comerica Park, manager Scott Servais laughed while elaborating on his decision to move Julio Rodríguez out of the leadoff spot in an attempt to alleviate a prolonged slump. Rodríguez, batting .204/.271/.387 entering Wednesday’s game against Texas, moved down to sixth in the finale against the Rangers, then hit third in the opener vs. Detroit.

“You run in from center field, put your stuff on, of course these guys all have about eight things they need to put on before they can get in the box,” Servais said. “The clock is ticking, and he wants to hear his walk-up song, then all of a sudden, bam! You’re in the box. So [not hitting in the leadoff spot] just gives him a little more time to relax.”

His explanation was intentionally funny, but after Friday’s game, it also seemed prophetic. Rodríguez went 3-for-5 with four RBIs in the win, capping off his night with an opposite-field two-run homer in the ninth.

After a popout in the first inning, Rodríguez helped the Mariners break the game open in a five-run second, lining a two-run single to left to knock Tigers starter Matthew Boyd out of the game and put Seattle up 5-0. He added another line-drive single to left in the seventh, then ended his night with a 347-foot drive down the right-field line that cleared the fence just inside the foul pole.

“He stayed on some pitches [early], got them off the end of the bat, but flipped a couple of singles out there, which was great,” said Servais. “And then he starts to do some things that he’s capable of doing. Just square it up, and big things happen when he does that.”

Rodríguez and those around him see a familiar story unfolding: That of the 2022 season, when he scuffled through his first month (batting .206/.284/.260) and then hit like a superstar the rest of the way (.297/.355/.550). Rodríguez rediscovering his 2022 form would be an immeasurable boon to this year’s Mariners, who have gotten off to a back-and-forth 19-19 start with many of their big bats slumping.

Setting off on a key nine-game road trip, it’s certainly not a bad time for the Mariners’ best hitter to get back to his old ways. The question, then, is whether Rodríguez has truly broken out of his early slump, and if Servais’ solution of changing Rodríguez’s spot in the order will keep the slugger slugging.

Servais certainly sees the move paying early dividends.

“It’s just taking a deep breath, is what he’s doing,” he said. The manager contrasted the pressure Rodríguez was putting on himself in the leadoff spot to his relaxed approach from the middle of the order: “[The] team’s not doing a whole lot, he wants to jump up and be the guy to help us out. And tonight he did, without even thinking about it. It just was there in front of him, and you just go play, because he’s an unbelievable player. You’ve just got to go play.”

Rodríguez has taken the move in stride. Actually, more than that: He’s actively embraced it.

“If you think you’re going to be successful in this game every day or throughout the whole year, you’re wrong,” Rodríguez said. “This is a game of failure, and I feel like being able to handle that and be able to power through, that’s something that I enjoy doing. Because that’s the power of the game, and I love that part of the game. The struggle, and being able to come out on top.”

Coming out on top is exactly what the Mariners need -- and exactly what Rodríguez is looking for.

“I’m just enjoying beating someone else, honestly,” he said. “Getting that dub, that’s what I enjoy the most.”

But if the Mariners want to keep winning, they’ll need Rodríguez to keep hitting. Which brings back the question: Where in the batting order will he hit?

Servais emphasized that the plan is flexible. Rodríguez will hit where he’ll hit, and wherever he is, he’ll be fine.

“He may not hit third tomorrow,” Servais said. “I don’t know where he’s going to hit tomorrow. We’ll put him somewhere in the top nine, for sure.”