A Grip on Sports: The streaking Mariners head to Minnesota to take on another streaking team, though there are easy-to-see differences

A GRIP ON SPORTS • We woke up this morning thinking about many different subjects, from the Mariners’ crucial win Sunday to what we were going to have for breakfast. Different subjects, sure, but Mondays can be like that. You have to focus on what makes you happy as the work week begins. For many, it was one swing of the bat late Sunday afternoon.

•••••••

• Before we get there, though, we have to check our iCalendar and see what’s ahead. Which actually forces us to look back quickly, checking out the past couple weeks of one blazing hot Major League Baseball team.

It isn’t easy winning a dozen consecutive times in any sport, let alone baseball. But all 12-game winning streaks are not the same. Case in point, the M’s opponent this evening, the Minnesota Twins.

Until they lost 9-2 yesterday to the visiting Boston Red Sox, Minnesota had won 12 consecutive times, turning their record from 7-13 to 19-13 in baseball’s version of a blink-of-an-eye. From well back in the American League Central standings to second behind surprising Cleveland.

And yet, using our X-ray vision, we learned something. The Twins’ 12 wins in a row came against three teams, the White Sox (seven times), the Angels (three) and Red Sox (two). Not exactly Murderers’ Row – to invoke a nickname from the game’s ancient past.

Chicago is historically bad. New York Mets circa early 1960s bad. The Angels? Not much better and are dealing with their own curses this season, including whatever one was put on Mike Trout for whatever reason. The Red Sox, who are actually over .500 (19-16) did finish last in the East last season, so there is that.

How unimpressive are the Angels and White Sox? Well, they are a combined 20-48, which puts the “un” in unbelievably bad. Or unable to win. Or unwatchable. Your choice. The Twins did what they should have, sure, but their challenge is about to change. Over the next four days they host a team that is not only in first place in the West but is playing with a confidence and swagger that hasn’t been experienced in Seattle since September. Of 2022.

And a team winning in spite of Julio Rodriguez, not because of him – a sentence no M’s fan ever expected to read in 2024. Read, maybe. But believe? No way.

Believe it.

Not only is the 23-year-old highly paid star not hitting up to his standards (his OPS is a miniscule .621, nearly a full Mendoza Line under his career mark), his lack of production is hindering the lineup. And yet Jerry Dipoto’s behind-the-scenes lineup-creating brain trust continues to send him out every day in the two hole, where he’s consistently derailing rallies.  

Rodriguez did it again Sunday, striking out with the bases loaded in the second inning. At the plate with no one out. A pitcher struggling to find the strike zone on the mound. And, zip. Rodriguez “saw” seven pitches from Hunter Brown, none of which were in the zone. In other words, Brown didn’t earn the out. Rodriguez handed it to him. A not uncommon experience this season.

And yet, here we are. Looking at the American League standings and marveling at Seattle’s half-game lead over the Rangers in the West. Yes, the pitching, especially the starting pitching, is most responsible. But not entirely. Bryce Miller made two horrendous pitches yesterday and both were launched into two-run orbits. Those sixth- and seventh-inning dingers snapped the starters’ incredible 21-game streak of allowing two runs or less, something that hadn’t been accomplished in more than 100 years.

Still, the M’s left Houston with a 5-4 victory and another series win.

Cal Raleigh delivered the game-winning blow, an 0-2 ninth-inning shot to left field off the Astros’ newest purchase, closer Josh Hader. But he was not alone. There were huge contributions from others. Former Astro Josh Rojas, whose .442 on-base percentage has earned him the right to stay in the leadoff spot even when J.P. Crawford returns, and players from Dylan Moore to Luke Raley to Luis Urias, all contributed key hits Sunday.

Just think if the Rodriguez or Jorge Polanco or Mitch Garver, the latter two hitting less than .200, started to heat up. Maybe it will happen in Minnesota over the next four days. And kickstart a 12-game winning streak.

•••

WSU: Kyle Manzardo, the former Lake City High and Washington State star, is on his way to the bigs. An injury to a Pac-12 peer, Steven Kwan, has opened the door for the left-hand hitting Manzardo on the Cleveland roster. As Greg Woods tells us, Manzardo will have at least 10 days to show he belongs. He does. … The current baseball players were knocked around by sixth-ranked Oregon State yesterday. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and the nation, Washington has attracted a couple more players from Arizona and more over the weekend. … Could the Pac-12 have back-to-back first picks in the NFL draft? Well, only if the conference was to magically reform in the next couple months. And if Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is the first pick. The latter has better odds, we think. … Oregon may have a first-round pick or two on its current roster. The Ducks added more talent Sunday. … Arizona State’s roster has come together from many sources. … California’s football team did a nice thing this offseason. … There are still athletes out there who play a couple college sports. … Oakland’s men had a run during last season’s NCAA basketball tourney. Now another player is headed to a new school, this one to Washington. … Colorado expects a returning player to take a jump. … A former Oregon State women’s player found a new home. … Finally, USC repeated as NCAA beach volleyball champions, sweeping Pac-12 rival (for the final time) UCLA.

Gonzaga: The Zags have dipped into the transfer portal again, this time ladling out a high-volume shooter and scorer from Arkansas. Theo Lawson shares the news Khaliff Battle, a 6-foot-5 guard, is headed to Gonzaga. … The addition isn’t seen as a huge upgrade by some quarters. Here is what The Athletic has to say about Battle, ranked 159th in its portal rankings: “Battle is one of the best bucket getters in the portal but has never won before. He averaged 14.8 points in his lone season at Arkansas and finished hot, averaging 26.7 points over his final nine games. What he did better than ever before at Arkansas is get to the free throw line, drawing 7.4 fouls per 40 and shooting 87.3 percent at the line. Battle’s shot selection has not always been the best but he can fill it up when he’s hot. His next school will be his fourth, as he started his career at Butler, then was at Temple for three seasons (including one he medically redshirted) and this past year at Arkansas.”

Bloomsday: The rains didn’t hold off yesterday. Too bad. But the wet conditions didn’t stop Tebello Ramakogoana from winning the men’s race and Sarah Naibei from pulling away late in the women’s. Greg Lee covers the former and Luke Pickett takes care of the latter. … Most of the S-R’s photo staff was out in the streets and put together an in-depth photo gallery of all the professional races.

Indians: The rain that pelted the Bloomsday participants also pelted the Avista Stadium field. And caused a rainout. But it wasn’t limited to Spokane. Every Northwest League game, from Everett to Pasco, was postponed.

Mariners: We linked the game story, which focused on Raleigh’s home run, above – and here too. … Bryan Woo seems about ready to return off the injured list and back into the rotation. He didn’t give up a run in two rehab starts.

Seahawks: Which of the Hawks’ draft picks did well at the first rookie minicamp under coach Mike Macdonald?

Sounders: Seattle seemed to have the momentum coming in as they hosted the L.A. Galaxy on Sunday. But the Sounders didn’t have a scoring touch. A first-half shooting touch? Sure. They had 11 of those before halftime. None found the net. None found the net the entire 90 minutes. They settled for a scoreless draw.

Kentucky Derby: You know, horse racing can be cruel. In a lot of ways. To a lot of the participants, including the horses.

•••       

• We didn’t watch the entire thing, but the highlights we caught from last night’s three-hour roast of Tom Brady on Netflix included some hilarious stuff. And some jokes that made us cringe. Much more of the latter. Still, considering all the social-media buzz, we’re guessing there will be lots of views and conversation after the fact. … Speaking of down the road, we will not be working Friday. Traveling south. Big plans. Until later …