SEATTLE — Victor Robles has been working wild all season for the Mariners, and on Tuesday night time towards the Yankees, he did one thing that — given his aggressive demeanor on the basepaths — lengthy appeared inevitable.
In a 3-0 rely to Justin Turner with the bases loaded and two outs within the first inning and Yanks starter Luis Gil each on the ropes and struggling to seek out the strike zone, Robles raced towards the plate as Gil was grabbing the rosin bag on the again of the mound. But Gil caught Robles in his peripherals and was in a position to fireplace off his again foot to catcher Austin Wells, who corralled the ball because it met Robles’ working path and tagged him simply in time as he was sliding headfirst.
Turner, Seattle’s 39-year-old veteran who has seen nearly all the pieces in professional baseball, stood to the left of the batter’s field and stared towards the home dugout after Robles was referred to as out, seemingly in disbelief.
It was hardly the one — and even most evident — purpose that the Mariners fell, 11-2, to the Yanks to snap a three-game win streak. But it was actually essentially the most scrutinized.
“Vic is an aggressive participant, there isn't any doubt,” Mariners supervisor Dan Wilson stated. “And that's part of his game. That's a situation where you've got to know you're going to make it. He got his hand in there, but just wasn't able to get in there safely.”
Robles, who most well-liked to not communicate postgame, had but to be thrown out on a steal try since signing with Seattle in early June, as he’d been 25-for-25.
But the Mariners as an alternative got here away scoreless and have been already enjoying from behind after Bryan Woo surrendered a two-run double to Aaron Judge within the prime of the primary.
Those have been the primary runs allowed amongst a career-high seven from the electrical righty, who’d held the Yanks scoreless over a mixed 11 1/3 innings in every of his first two begins towards them.
Before Robles' bang-bang play at the plate, the Mariners seemed like they have been about to be in enterprise towards Gil, whose first three pitches to Turner have been all four-seam fastballs and method exterior the strike zone. Gil had additionally walked Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh to load the bases — and his night time started with an errant heater that hit Robles on his proper hand and fingers on his very first pitch.
That second, too, was simply as wild throughout the chaotic first body.
After being plunked by the 91.7 mph fastball, Robles hit the deck in ache however instantly popped up, rapidly jogged to the mound and wrapped his left arm round Gil’s shoulder to counsel that he believed that the ball acquired away from the Yanks’ rookie. Both broadcasts pointed out that they’d by no means witnessed such a sight, as gamers racing to the mound after being hit by a pitch sometimes are doing so in anger fairly than in good religion.
Then after the mud settled, Robles — who already was coping with a proper leg challenge that pressured him to exit Sunday’s sport and function the designated hitter upon returning on Monday — was pinch-hit for in his subsequent plate look by Mitch Garver.
The Mariners later introduced that Robles suffered a proper hand contusion, and that X-rays have been unfavorable.
“Obviously, he likes to place strain on the protection,” Wilson stated. “And that's part of his game. That was a very aggressive play and, again, one that you want to make sure you're going to be [safe] in. And he just wasn't able to wasn't able to get in there.”
Tuesday’s harm was the most recent in a season that’s been stuffed with them.
Robles handled hip flexor points for a piece of the summer season, which have been unrelated to the most recent proper leg challenge that led to him limping earlier than departing on Sunday. The 10 HBPs — together with six in his previous 9 video games — have featured some dents, together with two video games missed just lately in St. Louis.
Robles has been a revelation in Seattle, the place he’s discovered a second wind after being launched by the Nationals. He’s blossomed from a platoon to on a regular basis participant, from a lower-order bat to the leadoff spot — all whereas quickly changing into a clubhouse and fan favourite. He parlayed that complete package deal right into a two-year, $9.75 million extension signed in August.
Yet the aggressiveness he performs with can also include challenges.
On one hand, Seattle has sorely wanted him to be a spark plug inside its oft-scuffling lineup. Robles is hitting .448 with a 1.137 OPS over the previous month, each MLB-bests amongst gamers with at least 75 plate appearances on this span.
On the opposite, choices like Tuesday’s — even with good intentions — can yield suboptimal outcomes.
