The Seattle Mariners offense came alive last night against Phil Coke and the Detroit Tigers, scoring 13 runs on 15 hits. Mariner fans were left wondering one thing.
Was it for real?
Of those 15 hits, only three went for extra bases and none for home runs. While the copious amounts of singles and walks (an astounding 11 last night, 26 base runners in total) aren't always fun to watch, it's how the Mariners play.
And it is exactly how they will continue to win.
First, let's take a look back at the disappointing 2010 season.
To everyone's surprise, I'm sure, the Mariners finished last in the league in hits. On top the that, they were third to last in walks. Combine those, and you have the league's worst on-base percentage, a robust .298. You'd think they were facing Kevin Costner out there (For Love of the Game, perfect game Kevin Costner, not Field of Dreams Kevin Costner).
The M's have taken a new approach this year.
Get on base any way possible, and drive those guys in any way possible.
So while the Mariners continue to anchor the back of the league in batting average, it is incredibly encouraging to see them at the very top of it in walks. This has led to a nice, 2009-esque .317 OBP.
In comes the all-important, especially for this team, batting with runners in scoring position.
The Mariners were 7-22 with RISP last night, a big reason why they scored 13 runs instead of their standard two.
While their current batting average with RISP stands at only .203, there is reason to believe that number will go up, and with it, so will the runs and wins.
The Mariners have a line drive rate of 21 percent (third in the league), yet only a BAbip of .272 (24th in the league), meaning they have certainly been a little unlucky.
Add in the multiple late inning comebacks already for this team, and it's certain that they aren't afraid to hit in clutch situations. The clutch hitting against the Tigers is just a sign of things to come.
So, can we get used to these kinds of offensive outbursts? Thirteen runs may be a little bit extreme, but this team has figured out that small ball can win games.
Let everyone who doesn't watch our offense (or just gets bored trying to watch it) continue to think it's the worst in the league. It's really not.
Just ask Phil Coke, who is no slouch.
All stats came from Baseball Reference
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