3 Up, 3 Down: Eugenio Suárez Shakes Off Bad Start to Help Lead Mariners to 8-3 Thrashing of Blue Jays

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Mariners
By Ty Dane Gonzalez | Last updated 7/8/22

The Mariners fell to 10 games under .500 after losing by a score of 4-0 to the Angels on June 19. But since then, they have gone 13-3 while outscoring their opponents 77-41, capped off by an 8-3 thrashing of the Blue Jays to bring them back even on Thursday night.

Taking advantage of a bullpen day for Toronto, Seattle swatted three homers (with some help from Blue Jays left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., of course) for its third consecutive game scoring six runs or more. The pitching, meanwhile, was good enough, though not without the assistance of a few highlight-worthy defensive plays.

As such, it was truly a team victory for the Mariners, but let's dive a bit deeper and look at the three best and worst individual performances from the evening.

3 Up

C Cal Raleigh

Raleigh kicked his night off by plating the Mariners' second run of the game on a weak groundball that beat the shift. Then he came back his next turn through the order and launched the hardest hit ball of the evening—a two-run rocket over the right field wall that traveled 114 MPH off the big man's bat. With his 2 for 4 outing, Raleigh now possesses a batting average above .200 and continues to be one of baseball's best all-around catchers since the start of June.

1B Carlos Santana

Santana is really starting to find his stroke at the dish, stringing together a loud pair of hits in his first two at-bats. Singling in Seattle's first run of the game to the tune of a 104.9 MPH exit velocity and doubling at an even higher mark of 109 MPH, the veteran first baseman continued his stellar week in a big way.

3B Eugenio Suárez

Suárez's night began on a disastrous note, highlighted by an inning-ending baserunning miscue and a poor throwing decision that led to the Blue Jays' first run. But from that point forward, it was good vibes only for the fan-favorite third baseman, who checked in with a two-run single and his first home run since June 21. He also flashed the leather to top it all off, keeping Toronto off the base paths in the sixth with a sweet diving catch to his left.

3 Down

RHP Diego Castillo

The decision to deploy Castillo in the ninth inning of an 8-3 ballgame was questionable, to say the least, and the veteran righty did not have his best stuff to boot. He gave up a pair of hits and struggled to put Blue Jays second baseman Santiago Espinal away with two outs, driving his pitch count up to 22 before finally closing the door. As a result, it's likely the Mariners will be without one of their top high-leverage relievers on Friday night.

2B Abraham Toro

It was a quiet night at the plate for Toro, who was one of two Mariners hitters to not record a hit. He's been better as of late, however, going 4 for his last 16.

CF Julio Rodríguez

Rodríguez came around to score the Mariners' first run of the game after walking to lead off the top of the first, but he failed to reach base the rest of the night. Going 0 for 3, the back-to-back American League Rookie of the Month honoree's nine-game hitting streak has been snapped.