22 Homers From One Guy: Yordan Alvarez Is Doing Damage And Our M's Better Be Ready

Alright, Emerald City! You already know the drill: we live and die with our teams. And while our Seattle Mariners just shut out the Tigers 4-0, which feels *amazing*, we gotta talk about what’s happening down in Houston. The Astros just stomped the Athletics 13-2, clinching that series, and now they’re gunning for a sweep. The big, glaring reason? Yordan Alvarez. That dude is absolutely on fire, and the numbers he's putting up right now are a serious problem for the rest of the American League, including our M's. Jose Altuve's back in their lineup, too, and even though catcher Yainer Diaz is still out, their depth is showing. But let's be real, Alvarez is the engine for that club.

Yordan Alvarez Is Just Built Different

Seriously, how is one player doing this? In that Saturday beatdown, Alvarez smashed his fifth career grand slam, his first ever at home, in the second inning. That blast pushed him past Alex Bregman for sixth in Astros club history with 192 home runs. Think about that for a second! He's only turning 29 later this month, and he looks like he's playing at the absolute peak of his powers. This guy has had some injury issues that kept him from hitting 40 homers in a season before, but he's already leading the AL with 22 home runs and 48 RBIs. Not just that, he's second in the AL with a .316 batting average and leads all of Major League Baseball in OPS with a ridiculous 1.083 and total bases with 153. Astros manager Joe Espada summed it up perfectly: "Just a really good hitter. In big moments, he rises to the occasion. He just finds a way to boost our club." We've seen this kind of power before, and it's always something you keep an eye on when a rival is involved.

The A's Rookie Who Faced Our M's & Houston's Pitching Woes

Flipping over to the A's side, Sunday's starter is rookie left-hander Gage Jump. You might remember him! His MLB debut was against *our* Seattle Mariners earlier this season on May 26. He gave up four runs on nine hits and one walk with five strikeouts over five innings in a 4-1 loss to our guys. So we know what he can do, or, well, what he did against us! He did bounce back, though, pitching seven innings for a win against the Cubs last Tuesday, allowing just one run on three hits. He went 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in nine starts at Triple-A Las Vegas, leading the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts with 56 and wild pitches with nine before getting the call. Now, on the mound for the Astros on Sunday? Right-hander Mike Burrows. And his numbers are a different kind of wild. He's sitting at 3-7 with a 5.66 ERA, leading the AL in losses, earned runs allowed (43), and home runs given up (15). He coughed up two homers in a loss to his old team, the Pirates, last Tuesday and has given up at least one long ball in four straight starts. That stretch has seen him go 1-3 with a 6.85 ERA. Tyler Soderstrom, the A's left fielder, is also having a decent run after a rough patch, hitting .364 with three homers and 10 RBIs over his last 16 games. A's manager Mark Kotsay sees his confidence building. So, while the Astros are showing some serious firepower with Alvarez, their Sunday pitching matchup looks a bit shaky. The A's, even in their struggles, are trying to avoid a sweep. It’s early in the season, but these trends definitely matter. Our M's picked up a big win against Detroit, and that’s what we need to keep doing. Let's make sure our guys stay hot, because the AL West is always a battle, and we're watching everything.

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