The Mariners won their fifth straight game with their 10-3 triumph over the Astros on Saturday. Central to those efforts was Seattle's 22-year-old star outfielder Julio Rodríguez, who went 4 for 6 on the night.
That big night at the plate occasioned history for the magma-hot Rodríguez. He now holds the MLB record for most hits in a four-game span with 17. The record had belonged to Milt Stock, who tallied 16 hits in four games as a member of the 1925 Brooklyn Robins. Thanks to his 17 for 22 run over the last four games, however, the record now belongs to Rodríguez. Here's the record-setting knock:
Rodríguez also tied Stock's other record with his fourth straight game of at least four hits. J-Rod enjoyed a 5-for-5 night on Thursday, and over his record-setting four-game stretch he's also racked up five stolen bases.
Coming off a sparkling rookie campaign in 2022, Rodríguez for much of this season hadn't quite lived up to those standards. This stretch, though, has helped him find his level. At the close of play on Aug. 15, Rodríguez owned a slash line of .256/.319/.432. Four games and 17 hits later, he's now slashing .278/.337/.463. He's also swiped 33 bases on the year.
As for the Mariners, they're now a season-best 13 games above .500, and they've won eight of the last nine series. As well, they're in third and final wild-card position in the AL -- albeit just a half-game ahead of the Blue Jays -- and they're just four games behind the first-place Rangers in the AL West race. Suffice it to say, a surging J-Rod has much to do with that.
