SEATTLE -- In a recent “ball talk” meeting, where Cardinals players and coaches talk about the upcoming game, manager Mike Shildt told the team it needed to do more damage while at the plate. While the team has struggled offensively, too often has it gotten away from hitting the ball hard to a gap or out of the park.

In Tuesday’s series-opening loss to the Mariners, Jose Martinez did exactly what Shildt wants the Cardinals to do. Martinez, designated hitting while the Cardinals play in American League territory, hit solo home runs in the first and sixth inning. Prior to Tuesday, he was batting just .216 with two homers in his previous 38 games.

“When you get into a situation with the team that needs the offense to do a little bit more, you want to help the team,” Martinez said. “The most important thing right now is go out there and hit the ball hard or get on base for the next guy. What matters is being productive and making something happen for the team.”

Although the Cardinals lost -- by way of a Mariners home run in the eighth inning, it should be noted -- Shildt was encouraged by what he saw with Martinez and Yairo Munoz’s game-tying home run in the seventh, as well as the three doubles the Cardinals had.

“We got to put the ball out of the ballpark and in a gap more consistently,” Shildt said. “Last night was a good start to that and feeding off the game in San Diego with Wieters’ two-run homer. The slugging and damage we haven’t been able to do the last two months has just caught up with us, so we have to be able to put some points on the board to be able to win the game.”

Martinez is tied for fourth in the Majors (minimum 40 plate appearances) with a .320 average (16-for-50) as a designated hitter since 2018. He has a career .306 average in 15 games as DH. While he wants to be playing in the field, too, he recognizes his strength is his offense, and he jumped on the opportunity to give the Cardinals an offensive boost during the series in Seattle.

"Martinez has shown he can pull the ball where he wants it to go, and that comes with awareness," Shildt said.

The Cardinals hope that awareness can trickle throughout the lineup as the team focuses on creating more damage after a month when it scored just 92 runs -- second-worst in the Majors in June -- and hit 26 home runs, fewest in the National League in June.

“(Martinez) understands every situation is a situation,” Shildt said. “He’s got the understanding and ability to execute what those situations call for. We need more of that through the lineup, quite honestly. He’s smart and he can help other guys around him.”

Worth noting

Right-handed reliever Ryan Helsley was activated from the 10-day injured list (right shoulder impingement) Wednesday and optioned to Triple-A Memphis, where he had recently been pitching on a rehab assignment. Shildt hopes to see Helsley’s health and consistency improve while he works in Memphis.