Commentary: Mariners need this version of Eugenio Suárez to help cover up the question marks
SEATTLE – Eugenio Suárez might be back.
Technically, he’s been back for 25 games, in which the Mariners have gone 15-10. The 34-year-old third baseman has been in the lineup for every one of them. But until recently, Seattle hasn’t received the slugger it outbid others for by dealing three prospects to the Diamondbacks.
That Suárez was by far the best available bat at the trade deadline, with 87 RBI (tied with Cal Raleigh for most in MLB) and 36 homers (fifth) when he joined the Mariners. That Suárez was an All-Star for the second time this summer. That Suárez was brought back to alleviate pressure on Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena and Co., by lengthening a lethal Mariners lineup.
That Suárez may have taken the scenic route to Seattle.
In his first 17 games in his second stint with the Mariners, Suárez slashed just .141/.188/.266 – with two homers, seven RBI, nine hits, three walks and 25 strikeouts. He recorded a -0.3 FanGraphs WAR and a wRC+ of 28 (where 100 is league average). He managed multiple hits just once in his first 24 games.
Slumps happen. But given the continued inconsistency of Seattle’s pitching staff, plus a playoff race with Houston wobbling and three teams within two games atop the wild card, Suárez needs to be a premium run producer. He needs to be the slugger the Mariners thought they traded for.
With Seattle facing a furious 28-game sprint, that Suárez may be finding his form. On Tuesday, he skyed an 0-2 slider over the left field fence for a three-run homer to give the Mariners a momentary 6-5 lead. Less than a day later, he repeated the feat, clobbering Yu Darvish’s first-pitch cutter into the bullpen for a second consecutive three-run shot.
“Sometimes he throws it 96 [mph],” Suárez said of Darvish’s parade of pitches. “Sometimes he throws it 90. Sometimes he throws a curveball at 68, and then he throws a slider. You’ve got to be ready for something in the middle of the plate and be ready to hit a mistake, and I did that today.”
In a 4-3 win over San Diego, Suárez served the final blow. He drove in three runs, scored the other one and gobbled up a grounder with the tying run on third to claim the final out.
In doing so, Seattle secured its second straight series win, closing a successful 4-2 homestand. On the heels of an unsettling 2-7 road trip, the Mariners (and Suárez) have seemed to stabilize.
But results aside, manager Dan Wilson insists Suárez has been the same slugger all along.
“Geno’s superpower is he’s the same guy every day,” Wilson said. “He is just a steady performer, a steady preparer. He just continues to do what he does that makes him successful.”
Added Suárez, who went 2 for 4 with three RBI, two runs and a stolen base: “[Seattle] has been home every time I come here, even when I get traded. Seattle has been really nice for me. But even if my numbers weren’t right when I got here, it worked out. I still feel like I’m home. I don’t have to change anything, just be me and enjoy the process and try to help the team win games.”
To insert some analysis: three-run homers help.
It also helps that Seattle has MLB’s seventh-easiest strength of schedule the rest of the way, with opponents touting a collective winning percentage of .479. But though their upcoming nine-game road trip features outwardly winnable series against Cleveland (66-66), Tampa Bay (64-69) and Atlanta (61-72), the Mariners must prove they can stay consistent outside of Seattle.
“We know it’s not going to be the same because we don’t have our fans in our favor, but it’s the same baseball,” Suárez said. “We’ve just got to go over there and try to play good baseball, do the little things and try to win games.”
Suárez aside, that means receiving the vintage versions of Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryce Miller, each of whom have struggled with inconsistency. It means managing a bullpen with precious little leverage depth. It means keeping Raleigh and Rodríguez (who’s slashing .301/.343/.581 with six homers and 17 RBI in August) hot, while Arozarena hopefully rediscovers his swing.
But three-run homers cover up a lot of question marks.
Which is why that Suárez is worth the wait, and why a sizzling September could ultimately tip this team over the top.
Suárez might not just be back. He might be better.
“It’s very special,” he said of tying a career high with 104 RBI in his 12th season. “That’s something I’ve been working for, and I feel so happy that this year has been awesome for me so far. I’ve just got to keep doing my best and go for more.”