Julio Rodríguez’s costly baserunning mistake dealt a major blow to the Seattle Mariners in their 2-1 loss against the New York Yankees on Wednesday. In the bottom of the 10th inning, with Seattle down by one, Rodríguez stood on third base after advancing on Cal Raleigh’s single. With no outs, the Mariners were in a strong position to tie the game.
However, disaster struck when Randy Arozarena, facing Yankees reliever Ian Hamilton, lost control of his bat while striking out. The bat flew toward Rodríguez, forcing him to jump off the base in reaction. Seizing the opportunity, the Yankees quickly threw to third base, getting Rodríguez out in a rare baserunning blunder.
This critical mistake drastically reduced Seattle’s win probability, dropping it from 64.8% to just 8.9%. The Mariners were unable to recover, with Justin Turner striking out to end the game, handing the Yankees the win and securing their playoff spot.
Rodríguez’s error compounded the Mariners’ baserunning woes, as it followed another high-profile blunder by Victor Robles, who was caught attempting to steal home in a bizarre play the day before. These mistakes have contributed to a frustrating season for the Mariners, who, despite a strong pitching rotation, have struggled with mental lapses on the basepath.