Scott Servais on Kyle Seager’s at-bats: If ‘he continues to compete like that, Kyle will get going’
Apr 2, 2018, 12:39 PM
Kyle Seager drove in a crucial run Sunday but hit just .100 in the Mariners' opening series. (AP)
(AP)
The Mariners put together an exciting start to the 2018 season over the weekend, knocking off last season’s American League wins leader, the Cleveland Indians, to take a three-game series. But Seattle did so despite Kyle Seager coming out of the gate slow at the plate.
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Seager, the Mariners’ one-time All-Star third baseman, is just 1 for 10 with a walk through the three games – although his one hit was a double that drove in an important run in a 5-4 Mariners victory Sunday.
Slow starts are nothing new for Seager, whose career average in March and April is .245, 18 points below his full career mark.
Mariners manager Scott Servais joined the Brock and Salk show Monday morning on 710 ESPN Seattle and said while the results weren’t there yet, Seager was showing something at the plate against Cleveland.
“I thought his at-bats yesterday – I know (Cleveland starter Trevor) Bauer struck him out on a nasty curveball, but he had a really good at-bat,” Servais said. “As long as he continues to compete like that, Kyle will get going. He’s got a track record. I’ve said it all spring, I thought he had a very good spring training and it was nice to see. I thought the quality of his at-bats yesterday were much better.”
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Servais was glad to see Seager and the Mariners be the recipients of some good luck for once on his double (watch here), which was the result of a bad hop that jumped over Cleveland first baseman Yonder Alonso’s glove into right field.
“We got a lucky hop yesterday – we got a bad hop that bounced over their first baseman’s head and turned into a big, big hit and big run for us, so hopefully that will help get him going,” Servais said.
The sooner Seager finds his groove the better, as his location in the Mariners’ stacked lineup will keep him in spots to drive in runs.
“That’s what happens when you hit fifth on a really good team,” Servais said. “There’s gonna be a lot of traffic, there’s gonna be a lot of guys on base. He’s gonna get a ton more of those opportunities.”
