SEATTLE — His right arm extended, Jesse Winker held his bat high over his head as he turned and admired his deep drive toward the right-field foul pole.
Would it stay fair?
In what has been a disappointing first season in Seattle, Winker gave an emphatic answer Sunday afternoon with a third-inning grand slam off Angels left-hander Tucker Davidson that helped the Mariners salvage a series split with a 6-3 victory before a crowd of 34,837 at T-Mobile Park.
Could that portend a long-awaited breakthrough for Winker?
That’s the Mariners’ hope, anyway, as Winker continued his productive start in August. In seven games since July 31, the left-handed-hitting left fielder has six hits in 20 at-bats, with three home runs, eight RBIs, nine walks and three strikeouts.
The M’s lineup is getting healthy.
All-Star Ty France returned Friday after sitting out the Yankees series in New York last week because of a sore wrist. Mitch Haniger was back Saturday night for the first time in more than three months. And rookie sensation Julio Rodriguez (hand contusion) is on track to return by the end of this week.
Winker’s return to his 2021 All-Star form with Cincinnati — or something even close to it — would be a boon for an M’s lineup that ranks 10th in the American League in runs scored.
On a 2-0 count, Winker turned on Davidson’s 92 mph fastball in the third inning. His bottom (left) had came off the bat as he finished this swing, and the ball sailed just inside the right-field pole to give the Mariners a 5-0 lead. France, Haniger and Eugenio Suarez scored on the grand slam, the third of Winker’s career (and first as a Mariner).
It was Winker’s 11th home run of the season.
Overall, Winker is hitting .230 with a .714 OPS in 101 games.
The Mariners got a quality start from left-hander Marco Gonzales, who allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out seven.
Suarez doubled to drive in Adam Frazier for the Mariners’ first run in the first inning.
Sam Haggerty drove in Suarez with a two-out double in the fifth, but Winker missed a stop sign at third base and was thrown out on a relay throw at home to end the inning.
Andres Munoz, Penn Murfee and Paul Sewald were perfect out of the bullpen to close things out. Sewald earned his 14th save of the season.
