SEATTLE — When the Mariners acquired Carlos Santana on June 27 from the Royals, it seemed like a move made out of desperation.
The 36-year-old switch-hitting first baseman/designated hitter was slowly picking up his production after a forgettable first two months of the season.
They were struggling to find offense. Ty France, their best hitter, had just been placed on the injured the list. And they were going to lose J.P. Crawford, Jesse Winker and Julio Rodriguez to suspensions for their roles in the brawl with the Angels.
At the time, Mariners manager Scott Servais talked about Santana's professionalism, his ability to work counts and get on base while also providing a strong, calming presence in the clubhouse.
But over the past few days, a rejuvenated Santana, buoyed by the adrenaline of winning baseball and legitimate postseason hopes, has been something more for the Mariners.
On Sunday, Santana's towering moon ball of a homer to right field in the eighth inning proved to be the difference in the Mariners' 6-5 victory over the Blue Jays.
It was the second straight game where Santana, who also hit a solo homer in the second inning, provided the go-ahead homer in late innings to propel to the Mariners to victory.
His heroics helped the Mariners secure a four-game sweep of the Blue Jays and their eighth consecutive win. The Mariners improved to 45-42 and moved into a tie for the third wild-card spot with Toronto.
Santana understood that a large portion of his value to the Royals and now the Mariners was his experience and his ability to connect with young players. But he’s now in a situation where his production also matters.
“Honestly, it’s different,” Santana said of the switch in teams and situations. “We are playing every day to make it into the playoffs. We were talking about it this morning about how fun it is to make the playoffs and how you have to keep pushing in the second half. It’s a different energy.”
