Mariners Moose Tracks, 8/22/23: Luis Castillo, Julio Rodriguez, and Davey Martinez

In Mariners news...

• Pure dominance.

• Ty France speaks about team mentality and offensive production following the Mariners’ seventh straight win last night:

• Just unreal.

• Prior to last night’s game, the Mariners made a series of roster moves: Shortstop J.P Crawford was reinstated fro the 7-day IL and RHP Darren McCaughan was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma, while INF/OF Sam Haggerty was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma and RHP Emerson Hancock was placed on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder strain.
• Jay Jaffe at Fangraphs recaps Julio Rodriguez’s historic hitting streak and how it has helped impact the team’s chances at a playoff position.
• To no one’s surprise, Julio collects this week’s American League Player of the Week honors, his third of the season so far.

Around the league...

• An 11th inning walk-off by the Arizona Diamondbacks to defeat the Texas Rangers brings the Mariners within two games of the first spot in the AL West, right behind the Houston Astros, who are 1.5 games back.

• Kiley McDaniel at ESPN released an updated list of MLB farm system rankings, with the Mariners landing at No. 23 and getting high praise for their 2023 draft picks. ($)
• The Washington Nationals’ bullpen cart has lost popularity over recent years, with most players declining as to not alter their routines. Hear from one of the cart’s drivers, Trip Morgan, on his interactions with the few players that decide to accept his ride offer.
• The Nationals have also agreed on a two-year contract extension with manager Davey Martinez with a club option for the 2026 season.
• The San Francisco Giants have agreed to a minor league deal with first baseman Yoshi Tsutusgo after he opted out of a deal with the Texas Rangers in late June.

Becca’s picks...

• Quite a dino-mite performance from these competitors: