Thanks to Julio Rodriguez’s 17 hits, the Mariners are back in action

(Phoenix) The Seattle Mariners were selling at the trade deadline three weeks ago, trading No. 1 reliever Paul Sewald to the Arizona Diamondbacks, suggesting this season may not end in the playoffs.

Julio Rodriguez saw things differently.

The Mariners’ young star capped off a four-day streak worthy of baseball history, setting an MLB-high 17 hits in four games to help the team find itself midway through the playoff race.

Rodriguez had 17 hits in just 22 at-bats in the Mariners’ four wins from Wednesday through Saturday, taking his average from . 256 to . 278. The Mariners completed the victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday, their sixth consecutive victory.

The Seattle team has won 14 of its last 17 games and is currently the last team drafted in the Americano, half a game ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. There are still six weeks left in the season, but the Mariners are – rightly so – confident of their chances of playing in late October.

“Our players’ desire to fight big battles is palpable,” said head coach Scott Servais. Finding a way to sweep a team like the Astros at this point in the season takes that desire. We will continue in the same line. The guys think we can do this and we play great baseball. »

A three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox at the expense of the New York Yankees also kept them on that run.

The New England lineup, which has won seven of its last 10 games, is just 3 games behind the Mariners and the last playoff spot in the Americano.

Meanwhile at National

Anyone who likes the end of the chaotic season is well served with the dispute for the teams summoned in the National.

Going into Monday’s games, the Philadelphia Phillies (67-56), San Francisco Giants (65-59), Chicago Cubs (64-59), Cincinnati Reds (64-61), Miami (64-61) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (64-61) are the six clubs vying for the three available spots.

“Every game is crucial,” D’backs coach Torey Lovullo said Saturday after the sweep at the expense of the Padres. I keep repeating this message. Wins are essential right now. The guys are fantastic at realizing the details that make the difference. »

On the other end of the spectrum, the Kansas City Royals are having a miserable year and are poised to lose over 100 games this season. The only reason to appreciate this season for its fans: to see how Bobby Witt seems to have oriented himself.

The young shortstop’s improvement is real. If he had a good time in his first two campaigns, the second overall pick in 2019 had a roaring last month, batting . 400 with eight home runs, 28 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

Scherzer: One more step towards Cooperstown

Meanwhile, in Texas, Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer took another step on his seemingly inevitable path to Cooperstown.

Scherzer recently defeated Phil Niekro at 11^{It is} all-time ranking for strikeouts, he now has 3,344.

If he stays healthy, the 39-year-old goalscorer should finish in the top 10 by the end of the season. Greg Maddux, with 3371’K’, occupies this 10th^{It is} classification. Next on the list is Walter Johnson at 3509.

No active pitcher has more outs than Scherzer. Justin Verlander is closest to 13^{It is} rating, at 3292.

Associated Press reporter Kristie Rieken of Houston and freelancers Larry Fleisher and Richard J. Marcus contributed to this article.