The Seattle Mariners have a day off Thursday before returning home to face the Athletics, reeling from a punishing road trip in Philadelphia—but not broken. At least not in the eyes of Julio Rodriguez, who delivered a strong clubhouse message after a crushing sweep by the Philadelphia Phillies raised the pressure on the Mariners to regroup and reassert themselves in the October race.
Following an 11-2 blowout loss in the series finale, Rodriguez didn’t mince words. After launching a first-inning solo homer—one of club’s few highlights from the night—he spoke with MLB’ Daniel Kramer and offered an honest assessment of where the team stands.
“I feel like the key is how we respond as a team,” the 24-year-old center fielder said. “It’s easy to go through a time when it’s easy, when everybody’s playing good and all that. But it’s how we respond in this situation — that’s what really shows who we are.”
The Mariners’ response will need to be immediate. They were outscored 29-9 in the series, with their pitching exposed and offense falling flat. The Phillies sweep marked Seattle’s fifth straight loss and dropped their road trip record to 2-7, matching their worst stretch of the season.
Luis Castillo’s four-inning start on Wednesday afternoon featured a noticeable velocity dip, and his early exit left the bullpen overexposed. In the seventh frame, Tayler Saucedo allowed five runs while recording just one out, and Sauryn Lao surrendered more in mop-up duty. The Mariners’ bullpen struggles were on full display—an issue that has plagued the team repeatedly in recent series.
The Phillies tallied 20 hits in Game 3 alone, led by Trea Turner’s five-hit night and Kyle Schwarber’s five RBIs. It was a dominant display, but one that also highlighted how thin the club’s pitching staff has become under pressure.
Now at 68-60, the Mariners sit 1.5 games behind Houston in the AL West. With every game gaining importance, Friday’s home opener against the Athletics—following an off day—offers a key chance to reset and regain momentum.
Seattle’s playoff race isn’t over—but the pressure is mounting quickly. The Mariners currently hold the third and final AL Wild Card spot, trailing the Boston Red Sox by half a game for the second slot and sitting two games behind the New York Yankees, who lead the race. Seattle maintains a 2.5-game cushion over the Kansas City Royals, with the Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers also within striking distance. With both the Red Sox and Yankees surging, the Mariners’ margin for error continues to shrink. If this team is going to make a move, the urgency must reflect the message delivered by their young center fielder. The time to respond is now—before their grip on the postseason slips away.
