The Seattle Mariners have the longest playoff drought in North American team sports, but right now, they can’t be stopped.
Seattle extended its winning streak to 12 games with an 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night at Globe Life Field.
12 STRAIGHT WINS FOR THE SEATTLE MARINERS!!! pic.twitter.com/0Abvrwfu4n
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthewCFB) July 16, 2022
1️⃣2️⃣ #SeaUsRise pic.twitter.com/zlVvYP2G3X
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 16, 2022
The @Mariners extend their winning streak to 12 games, the longest winning streak in the American League this season.
— Mariners PR (@MarinersPR) July 16, 2022
The Mariners put the game away with an eighth-inning grand slam off the bat of rookie star Julio Rodríguez, who showed why he’ll be part of Monday night’s Home Run Derby.
.@JRODshow44 is ready for the Home Run Derby 💥 pic.twitter.com/hEvTwFlcKE
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 16, 2022
Rodríguez now has 16 home runs — to go with 21 stolen bases — and a .275/.335/.479 slash line in 370 plate appearances. That’s quite an incredible start to his major-league career.
The Mariners also got an impressive bat-missing effort on the mound from left-hander Robbie Ray, who struck out 12 — with zero walks — while allowing three earned runs over 6 2/3 innings.
Robbie Ray, 5 Consecutive Ks. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4uRfIOnw9c
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 16, 2022
From @alexmayer34 ….
Robbie Ray is first Mariners pitcher with 12+ strikeouts and no walks in a game since King Felix on April 17, 2013.
List of Mariners to do it: King Felix (5x), Randy Johnson (4x), Mike Moore, Mark Langston, Robbie Ray once each.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) July 16, 2022
The 12-game winning streak is the second-longest in Mariners franchise history, trailing only a 15-game streak they had in 2001, when they last made the postseason (they won 116 games that season, tied for the MLB record).
Longest win streaks, Mariners history:
2001: 15 games
2022: 12 games ** active streak
2002: 10 games
1996: 10 games https://t.co/iY9ksq2FPe— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 16, 2022
The baseball world has been buzzing about the Mariners’ winning streak and the sensational Rodriguez.
The Mariners have won 12 straight games … they also haven’t made the playoffs since 2001.
They are the 3rd team in the last 75 seasons with a 12+ game win streak while on a 20+ season playoff drought.
The 1951 White Sox and 1991 Rangers both did this. h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/O6xrwn8eAr
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 16, 2022
Mariners Seahawks
🤝
12— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) July 16, 2022
Julio Rodríguez is the first @Mariners player 21-or-younger to hit a grand slam since Alex Rodriguez on July 6, 1996, also at Texas.
— Alex Mayer (@alexmayer34) July 16, 2022
#Mariners CF Julio Rodriguez this season:
89 G | 16 HR | 50 RBI | 21 SB
Players with 15+ HR, 50+ RBI & 20+ SB over any 89-GM stretch in a season recently:
• Jose Ramirez (‘19)*
• Fernando Tatis, Jr. (‘21)*
• Ronald Acuña (‘19)*
• Christian Yelich (‘19)**Top 6 in MVP vote pic.twitter.com/CPqgdfjIlF
— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) July 16, 2022
LET ME REPEAT: THE MARINERS
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 16, 2022
.@mlb Hey. I know we haven't always gotten along. I've said some things. You've done some things.
You need to do everything in your power to make Julio Rodríguez one of the faces of the sport. Like, now.
— Christopher Crawford (@Crawford_MILB) July 16, 2022
The freakin’, streaking’ Mariners(!)
Julio Rodriguez slams the way to Seattle’s 12th straight win, 8-3 at Texas. History-making marches on.
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) July 16, 2022