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Seattle Mariners

Mariners’ Logan Morrison finding his groove

Logan Morrison went 4 for 4 vs. Red Sox on Monday. (Associated Press)
Ryan Divish Seattle Times

This is how Logan Morrison entices coaches, scouts, baseball executives and fans. It’s games like Monday night’s 12-3 win over the Boston Red Sox at Safeco Field.

Morrison, batting cleanup for the Mariners, went 4 for 4 with two home runs and two singles, driving in four runs.

The home runs were massive blasts that cut through the marine air, landing deep into the seats in right field and right- center. The singles were hard shots through the right side.

It was a tantalizing example of what Morrison, 26, could be as a hitter. Obviously, four-hit, two-homer nights are not expected every night from any hitter, but Morrison has the talent and strength to be a productive presence in the middle of the order. A power hitter to help complement the hitting of Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager.

In his eighth game of this season, Morrison was jogging in the outfield in Arlington, Texas, when he felt his hamstring tighten up. What seemed like a minor hamstring strain led to him missing 52 games. In his first five games back, Morrison went 2 for 17 with a double and a homer. He punctuated that fifth game with a frustrating rage, smashing his bat against a wall in the dugout. A piece of the bat flew off and hit him above the eye, opening a gash that forced him out of the game and required five stitches. He apologized to his teammates and McClendon.

But since that outburst, Morrison hasn’t had much to be angry about. He’s hitting .324 (11 for 34) with a double, three homers and eight RBIs with a 1.002 on-base plus slugging percentage

“He has better timing,” McClendon said. “He’s played every day. The 20 days at Tacoma helped quite a bit and helped him get his timing down. I thought his at-bats on the road helped. He was very focused.”

Morrison likes the way his swing and his approach have felt during this stretch.

“It definitely feels better,” he said. “I’m getting my foot down a little earlier and I’m being able to control my body weight and not letting it come forward before I swing. Obviously through the course of 162 games, stuff is going to get out of whack. But hopefully mine started out of whack, and that will be what happens and we’ll move on.”