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Standout rookie Julio Rodriguez was on the receiving end of an expert-level troll by the Mariners on Saturday after his hilarious base-running blunder in Friday’s game against the Blue Jays.
The jokes began after Rodríguez attempted to stretch a double into a triple after hitting a fly ball to center field in the bottom of the first inning. As the 21-year-old raced around the bases, his momentum caused him to tumble and fall just short of third base, allowing Toronto third baseman Matt Chapman to tag him for an easy out.
Despite losing out on a possible run, the Mariners went on to defeat the Blue Jays, 5–2.
Less than 24 hours later, the Mariners decided to poke at Rodríguez by drawing an outline of his body near third base and blocking it off with cones and caution tape. The team shared an image of the “flattering” tribute on social media, along with the caption, “On the next episode of CSI: Mariners.”
Clearly not one to be outdone by a joke, Rodríguez then decided to go the extra mile and inspect the outline while wearing water wings, a subtle nod to his vain attempts to “swim” his way to third. Judging by his playful response, Rodríguez doesn’t appear to be having too many sleepless nights thinking about the triple that slipped away.
While the back-and-forth between Rodríguez and the Mariners shows both parties boast a good sense of humor, the center fielder’s performance in his debut season has resulted in opposing fans doing far more crying than laughing.
Rodriguez, the current frontrunner for American League Rookie of the Year, is slashing .277/.336/.484 with 15 home runs and 43 RBI, and has recorded an AL-best 21 stolen bases.
