SAN DIEGO—Julio Rodríguez went 4 for 4 with a 411-foot home run into the second deck in left field, Cal Raleigh hit a two-run homer from each side of the plate, and All-Star Logan Gilbert was outstanding for the American League West-leading Seattle Mariners in an 8–3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

Rodríguez drove in two runs and scored three times in his biggest game of the year. The 2022 American League Rookie of the Year has been in a slump since mid-June, although he homered and doubled in a 7–3 win over Baltimore on Thursday. That homer was his first since June 15. Tuesday marked his second four-hit game of the season and the 10th of his career.

“He’s playing a little angry right now,” Seattle Manager Scott Servais said. “There’s some payback here. Some people have gotten away with some things in the first half of the season. Hopefully he can continue it. When he’s in those two-strike counts and you see him lay off pitches and foul pitches off, and then come through like that, his confidence starts growing. When it gets going with Julio, it’s a runaway train, and it’s really fun to watch.”

Rodríguez’s ninth homer, off rookie Adam Mazur (1–3) with one out in the fifth, was such a no-doubter that All-Star left fielder Jurickson Profar just turned and watched the ball sail into the stands for a 5–0 lead.

“It’s not angry. It’s just kind of how I play the game,” Rodríguez said.

Rodríguez, who hit an RBI single in the first, was aboard for both of Raleigh’s shots. He singled ahead of Raleigh’s homer to right with one out in the third and doubled ahead of Raleigh’s line shot to left with one out in the seventh. Raleigh extended his team home run lead to 17. Raleigh also doubled in the ninth.

Rodríguez came out with a tight calf late in the game but said he should be OK.

He said he had a mental transition recently, like flipping a switch.

“Sometimes you just have to,“ Rodriguez said. ”Sometimes you kind of feel sorry for yourself a little bit, and then you just take on responsibility for what you do and be yourself no matter what. That little thing might seem simple, but I feel like that little flip of a switch can change a lot for you.”

Raleigh had his sixth career multi-homer game and the second of his career with home runs from both sides of the plate.

“I wasn’t thinking about it at all,“ he said. ”Just trying to get Julio in. It’s a cool thing to do, for sure, but I wasn’t really trying to.”

Gilbert (6–5) took a one-hit shutout into the seventh before allowing Jake Cronenworth’s homer with one out. The tall right-hander gave up Kyle Higashioka’s two-run homer with two outs in the eighth before being pulled. He allowed four hits in 7 2/3 innings, struck out seven, and walked one.

Mazur gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, struck out six, and walked two.

Gregory Santos made his Mariners debut with a hitless, scoreless ninth. He was reinstated from the 60-day injured list on Monday after missing 92 games with a back strain suffered during spring training. He was acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox in February.

Trainer’s Room

Padres: Shortstop Xander Bogaerts, on the injured list since May 21 with a broken left shoulder, took several live at-bats and plans to go on a rehab assignment with Class-A Lake Elsinore, Calif. He said he could return for a series against Atlanta this weekend if all goes well. ... Right-hander Wandy Peralta left with an injury in the ninth after allowing Raleigh’s double.

Up Next

Right-handers Bryce Miller (6–7, 3.84 earned-run average) of the Mariners and Michael King (7–5, 3.51) of the Padres are Wednesday’s scheduled starters.

By Bernie Wilson