Mariners Rely on Polanco and Arozarena as Season Progresses

SEATTLE, WA – The Seattle Mariners face increasing pressure on veterans Jorge Polanco and Randy Arozarena as the season advances. With key superstar Cal Raleigh drawing more intentional walks, Polanco and Arozarena are expected to step up in crucial moments.

In a tight matchup on Saturday night, the Mariners defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0. During the game, Raleigh notably walked three times, including an intentional walk. Teams are now wary of his power, which has resulted in 35 home runs this season.

According to notes from Mariners PR, Raleigh’s performance marks his 14th multi-walk game this season, tying him for the second-most such games in the league alongside Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. Only Juan Soto of the New York Mets has more, with 15 games.

It was also noticed that Raleigh was intentionally walked for the 11th time this season, ranking among the top in Mariners history. He is tied with legends Edgar Martínez and Ichiro Suzuki from previous seasons in their number of intentional walks during the first half of the season. Raleigh’s 11 intentional walks are second-most in Major League Baseball this year, trailing only Aaron Judge’s 23.

The Mariners are currently 47-42 and hold the third wild card spot in the American League. They are set to play the Pirates again on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. PT before taking a much-needed off day.