A Grand Slam, A Bat Kiss, And The 9-1 Mariners Win Nobody's Talking About Enough

Alright, Seattle, can we talk about how our Mariners just casually rolled into Oakland and absolutely owned the A's with a 9-1 victory? That's what I'm talking about! While some of the national media is probably still buzzing about guys kissing bats and pitching phenoms, our M's were out there quietly getting it done, putting up a W that feels so good this early in the season. You love to see it, right?

But hey, even for us die-hard Emerald City faithful, it's worth peeking at what's shaking across the league. Especially when some of that action has a little Seattle flavor. Like, did you know one of those big-name Braves, Ozzie Albies, knows exactly what it's like to hit a bomb at T-Mobile Park? More on that in a sec. First, let's look at the wild ride Ronald Acuña Jr. had down in Boston.

Ronald Acuña Jr. Finally Finds His Groove, Kisses His Bat

Man, Acuña has been in a serious funk, but he finally broke out in a huge way against the Red Sox. Dude absolutely crushed a grand slam over the Green Monster in the sixth inning, sparking a five-run rally that led to a 10-2 Braves win. This was only his third homer all season, and his first since way back on April 24. You could tell he was feeling it, too, because after he launched that Statcast-projected 417-foot shot, he took a few steps, kissed his bat, and then slammed it before trotting around the bases. Wild stuff!

He's had some epic celebrations before, but this one was new for him. Acuña admitted, "That's my first time because I don't have results. I keep trying and I keep fighting." It's tough to imagine, right? This is the guy who won the 2023 NL MVP, the only player ever to go 40 homers and 70 stolen bases. But since tearing his left ACL in 2024, after tearing his right ACL in 2021, he's been battling to get back. He hit .240 with a .724 OPS over 34 games before a left hamstring injury on May 2. He just got activated on May 19 and was only 5-for-30 with one extra-base hit before Thursday's explosion. Pitcher Chris Sale said, "I'm hoping that's the one that opens the floodgates." Braves manager Walt Weiss added, "If we get him rolling, it's a game-changer." Acuña also snagged his ninth and 10th stolen bases in that game, showing he's still got that wheels!

Braves Finding Their Rhythm and Skenes' Dominant Night

Acuña wasn't the only Brave shaking off the rust. The team's been missing Drake Baldwin's bat since his right oblique strain on May 18, getting shut out three times since then. But Ozzie Albies had a monster day too, kicking things off with a third-inning double against Red Sox starter Payton Tolle. Get this, that double was his first extra-base hit since he homered in Seattle on May 4! He capped his big day with his ninth homer in the ninth inning. Meanwhile, Michael Harris II continues to be their offensive leader, smacking his 13th homer in the seventh. It shows how hard baseball is, even for the best, as Acuña said, "Sometimes you feel good and you don't have results, and sometimes when you feel bad, you get results."

And speaking of comebacks, over in Pittsburgh, Paul Skenes, the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year and 2025 Cy Young winner, needed a big outing. He'd given up nine runs in his last two starts! Skenes absolutely dealt against the Cubs, striking out 10 batters, allowing just one run on four hits. He kept his ERA at a sparkling 2.89. Good thing it was a night game too, with his first pitch at 6:42 p.m. His daytime ERA is a wild 6.57 compared to a tiny 0.51 at night!

It's always cool to see big league action unfold, especially when our Mariners are quietly stacking wins like that 9-1 shellacking of the A's. While everyone else is focused on the latest highlight reel plays, our guys are just consistently putting in the work. We're early in the season, but seeing those results, that's what makes us bleed green and blue. Can't wait for the next game, let's keep that momentum rolling, Seattle!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.