CHICAGO (AP) — When it comes to life on the road, the Seattle Mariners are making themselves right at home.
Seattle is on top of the AL West, and its major league-best 14-8 road record is a big reason. It is 4-0 on a 10-game trip going into Tuesday night's matchup with the Chicago White Sox, and it has won its last six road series overall.
It's the first time the Mariners have won at least six consecutive road series since they had a streak of eight in a row from July 3 to Aug. 23 in 2023.
"We treat every single game the same, but obviously, when you're on the road, you're like the bad guys. Nobody likes you,” center fielder Julio Rodríguez said. “I guess that adds a little bit more to us. We stick together pretty well as a team and I think that might play something into it.”
Pitching helps, too. Seattle had a 3.70 road ERA going into Tuesday's game, ranking sixth in the majors. It allowed one run in each of the first four games on its current trip.
The Mariners also have a dominant closer in Andrés Muñoz, who hasn't allowed an earned run in 20 2/3 innings this season. The bases were loaded when he entered Monday night's 5-1 victory over Chicago, and he struck out Michael A. Taylor for his 15th save.
“Pitching is kind of what's built our (organization), and kind of where our success has started,” catcher Cal Raleigh said. “It's one of the most important things in the game. We do a good job of getting those guys rolling and try to piggyback off of them.”
The strong start on the road comes after Seattle struggled outside of T-Mobile Park in 2024. It finished with a 36-45 road record while going 85-77 last year, contributing to the team's second-place finish in the AL West behind Houston.
Asked about the team's road success this season, manager Dan Wilson praised Muñoz and the rest of the team's bullpen. But he also highlighted the importance of timely offense.
“I think, offensively, being able to strike early on the road is important, and so far as we’ve started off this season, they’ve been able to do that,” Wilson said. “I think that’s put us in good positions to win late in the ballgame.”
Seattle brought up right-hander Casey Lawrence from Triple-A Tacoma before Tuesday night's game at Chicago. Left-hander Jhonathan Díaz was sent down, and infielder Austin Shenton was designated for assignment.
The 37-year-old Lawrence is 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA in five big league appearances this year.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Jay Cohen, The Associated Press
