Field Level Media
22 Jun 2022, 22:25 GMT+10
Two highly regarded rookies will get an opportunity to pad their home-run totals when the visiting Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics continue their three-game series on Wednesday night.
Seattle's 21-year-old Julio Rodriguez and Oakland's 23-year-old Nick Allen homered in Tuesday's opener, which the Mariners won 8-2.
Rodriguez did more than just homer. He singled twice, scored twice and drove in two runs for the Mariners, who won for the sixth time in their past eight road games.
That stretch bridged a 3-8 homestand during which Rodriguez had just one homer. He now has nine home runs and 32 RBIs for the season.
Seattle's Ty France joined Rodriguez in the three-hit club in Tuesday's win, which came two days after a team meeting designed to turn the season around before it got too late.
"We all talked and aired it out, and I think we are in a good spot," France reported. "We just have to keep trusting in one another to get the job done."
The Mariners will put their trust in another rookie, right-hander George Kirby (1-2, 3.56), in Wednesday's rematch. The 2019 first-round pick has gone 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA in his past four starts after beginning his career with an 0-1 record and 4.50 ERA in his first four outings.
Kirby faced the A's in his fourth start on May 24. He got a no-decision in a 7-5 home loss, allowing four runs in five innings with a season-best nine strikeouts.
The A's are expected to counter with their top All-Star candidate, right-hander Paul Blackburn (6-2, 2.26), who is coming off road starts at Cleveland and Boston in which he allowed just one run in 13 1/3 innings.
Blackburn improved to 5-0 on May 25 in a 4-2 win at Seattle, shutting out the Mariners on one hit in 5 1/3 innings. Blackburn is 2-2 lifetime in five starts against them, with a 4.68 ERA.
Blackburn figures to be backed this time around by Allen, who was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday and responded with the first home run of his career.
Allen gathered just four hits -- two doubles and two singles -- in 23 at-bats in two previous stints with the big-league club. He popped out and grounded out in his first two at-bats against Mariners starter Marco Gonzales, before barely scaling the left-center-field wall on his memorable blast in the seventh inning.
The hit produced all the Oakland scoring in the game, and the A's were able to retrieve the ball.
"It was Oakland, so I wasn't sure it was going out," Allen noted afterward, well aware of the RingCentral Coliseum's pitcher-friendly reputation.
"Yeah, I got the ball," he continued. "I'll probably just give it to my parents. I'll definitely cherish it, but for right now, I'll keep it in their hands so they can keep it safe."
--Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of Massachusetts Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Massachusetts Sun.
More InformationMOSCOW, Russia: The UK newspaper, the Telegraph, has been blocked in Russia, following a request from the Russian prosecutor-general.The TASS ...
LAHORE, Pakistan - An Airbus 320 carrying 171 passengers narrowly avoided an accident at Allama Iqbal International Airport, Pakistan's second-largest ...
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday vowed to "do all in my power" to protect a woman's ...
YANGON, Myanmar - According to military-run media, a junta delegation discussed nuclear technology collaboration with a Russian state-owned atomic energy ...
DHAKA, Bangladesh - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing more than Tk2.3 crore in emergency funding ...
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian villagers on the Mekong River have caught a stingray fish weighing 661 pounds, which is the ...
TOKYO, Japan: Amidst semiconductor shortages and COVID-19 parts supply disruptions, Toyota has reduced its July global production target by 50,000 ...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Electric vehicle (EV) sales could reach 33 percent globally by 2028, and 54 percent by ...
BERLIN, Germany: To prevent large increases in food prices, officials from G7 countries, including Germany and the UK, will push ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing to order Juul Labs to stop selling its e-cigarettes ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: As average home prices surged to a record high, reaching the $400,000 mark for the first time, and ...
MOSCOW, Russia: Russia's consumer price index has fallen by 0.12 percent for the third consecutive week.This drop in the consumer ...