T-MOBILE PARK – Between the Mariners’ clubhouse and the dugout, on the ceiling in your manner by means of the tunnel, there’s a slogan enshrined in large lettering: “Doesn’t Matter, Get Higher.”

Now, you’ve heard all of the slogans earlier than. “Sea Us Rise,” “Two Outs So What,” and even the remarkably lazy “Good.” (My love for Ted Lasso prevents me from together with “Imagine” on this group, despite the fact that, effectively, it belongs within the less-inspired class.) The M’s produce other slogans emblazoned close to the clubhouse, too, however that is the one each participant sees as he heads out to the sphere.

In a season filled with valleys, tonight’s sport felt like an apex, a second the place the group rallied collectively. Doesn’t matter, get higher.

The Mariners of a month in the past — let’s be trustworthy, the Mariners of a lot of the franchise’s 46-season historical past — would seemingly have rolled over, unable to enhance and unable to remain targeted. Doesn’t matter, get higher.

It will have been straightforward responsible the 32,398 followers, a lot of whom got here from throughout the border and loudly allowed their Canadian patriotism to shine by means of, as an impediment. Not this group, nevertheless. Not this time. Doesn’t matter, get higher.

And in the long run, whereas it was the youthful gamers who dominated a lot of the sport’s airwaves, it was one of many clubhouse veterans — the inimitable Eugenio Suárez — who recorded a breakthrough of his personal, hitting a towering blast down the left subject line for his first walk-off homer of his profession, giving the Mariners a 5–2 win and sending the group to its sixth straight victory.

George Kirby

Dealing with the Blue Jays’ lineup is a tall activity for any pitcher, a lot much less a rookie making the 12th begin of his profession. George Kirby — the aforementioned rookie — didn’t essentially have his greatest stuff right this moment (vertical break and spin fee had been down a tick from his season averages on most of his pitches), so his lesson of the day was on easy methods to succeed even amidst

Throughout 4.1 innings, Kirby scattered 10 hits and a stroll, putting out 4 and permitting two runs. Like I stated: not fairly! However the New York native received the outs when he wanted them, together with three completely different strikeouts (proven beneath) with runners in scoring place:

Kirby additionally continued a development of elevated curveball utilization that’s endured over his previous 5 begins. Over his first seven begins, Kirby was utilizing the curve solely sparingly (9.2%); lately, nevertheless, he’s as much as 20.7% curveball utilization. It stays to be seen if this elevated utilization is intentional or perhaps a optimistic — Kirby collected zero swings-and-misses on the curve tonight — however regardless, the truth that he’s making changes and dealing by means of jams is a promising signal.

Andrés Muñoz

In the event you’re studying this, you most likely don’t want any reminders about how totally improbable the Austin Nola commerce was for the Mariners. One piece of that deal, Ty France, is at present on his manner (probably) to the All-Star Sport. One other, Taylor Trammell, combines an infectious smile with a 126 wRC+ this yr, albeit in a brief 94 PA pattern dimension.

However the newest instance — and the second-youngest participant on the group roster — continued to point out off right this moment, demonstrating why he simply retains getting higher week to week.

Andrés Muñoz, born in actually 1999, had a tough begin to the season. Between Opening Day and June 10 (an admittedly arbitrary finish date picked solely to make my case), Muñoz was nigh unpitchable with a dollop of unhealthy luck:

Since then, he’s been nigh unhittable:

He added to these numbers tonight: 4 batters confronted, three strikeouts, zero runs. It was a virtuoso efficiency from the Mexican native, and he has clearly taken the “doesn’t matter, get higher” mantra to coronary heart.

Julio Rodríguez

Julio wants no introduction. He will be the youngest participant on the roster, however his vitality, his enthusiasm, and his ridiculously excessive stage of play make him stand out it doesn’t matter what.

Maybe it’s that actual precociousness that triggers shock when Julio merely messes up.

However Julio is indomitable. He scored the Mariners’ second run of the sport, making it house from first after a J.P. Crawford double into proper, however his actual spotlight got here within the subject. With two on and no person out, Santiago Espinal hit a frozen rope into heart subject. Julio faked as if he was going to catch all of it the best way, performed the ball on a hop, and threw a 99.6 MPH laser to 3rd to catch Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Once I let you know this was one thing out of Star Wars…

Positive, the teen isn’t good: With a Zombie Runner on second within the 10th and an opportunity to stroll it off, Rodríguez struck out, and whereas J.P. Crawford singled following a Ty France intentional stroll, Gurriel’s throw house nailed Abraham Toro by 20 toes, sending the sport to the 11th. (When requested post-game in regards to the choice to pinch-hit for Sam Haggerty within the ninth with the notably slower Toro, Servais merely replied, “I’m attempting to win the sport in 9.”)

The Bullpen

Speak about one thing that’s gotten higher. Regardless of some important early-season struggles, the bullpen was lights-out tonight. Again and again, it was a unique character — Murfee, Muñoz, Castillo, Sewald, and Borucki — who got here in clutch, whether or not with very important strikeouts or glorious situational pitching.

Throughout 6.1 innings, the bullpen allowed no runs, two hits, and garnered eight strikeouts. Even whereas the offense did not get a lot going in opposition to Ross Stripling or the Blue Jays’ bullpen, the Mariners’ relievers stored them in it and set the desk for…

Eugenio Suárez

Geno, as everyone appears to name the 30-year-old slugger, took a nasty slide proper into his leg on Julio’s throw again within the 4th. He may have come out of the sport at that time, or pointed to that harm as an evidence for any ensuing struggles.

Doesn’t matter, get higher.

As a substitute, Geno targeted on the issues he may management. In his phrases, “I do know Romo.” And tonight, in Geno’s eighth MLB season, with two males on, 207 house runs below his belt, and in search of one thing middle-in, he delivered his first profession walk-off homer and put the ending touches on a 5–2 dub. Bedlam.

Tomorrow, in fact, is one other day, filled with distractions and loud music identical to the clubhouse was post-dinger. One other likelihood for one thing to face within the Mariners’ manner.

Doesn’t matter, get higher.