SEATTLE (AP) — Slumping Randy Arozarena was dropped to fifth in the batting order for the Seattle Mariners in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday after leading off in every game since July 30.
Julio Rodríguez led off for the first time since July 28. Seattle had lost two straight at home, dropping into a 2-2 tie in the best-of-seven series.
Rodríguez had been hitting third. Josh Naylor moved from fifth to cleanup after starting the series 6 for 14.
“Sometimes when you make a change like that, it can create some different results,” manager Dan Wilson said. “Hopefully this is a chance to kind of jumpstart things offensively.”
Arozarena was 2 for 15 with one RBI in the series, on a solo homer. The 2020 ALCS MVP for Tampa Bay, he is hitting .158 with two RBIs in 38 postseason at-bats.
Rodríguez has a .847 OPS in 133 career games batting leadoff with 28 home runs, but hit just .194 with a .571 OPS in 14 games atop the lineup this year.
Dominic Canzone was in right field as Victor Robles sat for a second straight game. Second baseman Leo Rivas was batting ninth for the second game in a row after getting 90 at-bats during the regular season. He had a
“The quality of at-bats that we’ve gotten from Leo have been just outstanding on really, both sides of the plate,” Wilson said. “He hit some big home runs for us since coming back up in September. Left-handed, big, huge pinch hit base hit in Game 5 from the right side. So he has really swung the bat well. He’s just put up good at-bats, found his way on base.”
All but one of Seattle’s six runs in Games 3 and 4 came on homers.
“To have a more consistent offense it takes, I think, hitting home runs, as well as sort of scoring traditionally,” Wilson said. “And that’s when we’re going to be at our best. So being able to do both is where we need to get to.”
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