J.P. Crawford proving what makes him important to Mariners

Several players stood out in the Seattle Mariners’ huge four-game sweep of the rival Houston Astros.

Mariners continue dominance over Astros that’s lasted three years

Julio Rodríguez went 7 for 17 with a home run and two doubles in the series. Cal Raleigh hit his second homer of the season and later added a two-hit game. Josh Naylor broke out of his cold streak with a multi-homer game on Monday. And a pair of the starting pitchers to take the mound for Seattle – Logan Gilbert and George Kirby – especially shined in their outings against the Astros.

But in a series where the Mariners drew a staggering 27 walks against a beleaguered Houston pitching staff, one player above all deserves recognition: shortstop J.P. Crawford, who drew seven of those walks on his own and delivered the walkoff blow to cap off a Mariners comeback from five runs down to beat the Astros 8-7 on Saturday.

“He’s provided a spark,” said Bob Stelton on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob about Crawford shortly after the Mariners completed their sweep on Monday. “… He’s come up with some big moments, and he’s a guy that you’re not often going to see a bad plate appearance from him. He may strike out, he may ground out to short, whatever he does, but he’s going to see pitches. We’ve seen some moments where guys come up there and there’s three pitches, boom, they’re sitting down again, and they’re swinging at the same pitch. He’s not that. He’s typically going to give you a solid at-bat.”

Added Dave Wyman, Stelton’s co-host: “He’s always good at the plate, always responsible, not up there hacking away. … He’s so important.”

Crawford spent the Mariners’ season-opening homestand on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation that held him back in spring training, which Wyman and Bob saw up close when their broadcasted their show from the team’s camp in Arizona in March.

“This guy didn’t even really have a spring,” Stelton said. “We were down there and he was in and out, he was just hitting, he wasn’t playing out in the field, he was dealing with that shoulder. So you’re wondering how long it was going to take him to get in the groove. He’s not on fire, but Saturday night, he comes up with a walk-off win.”

J.P. Crawford ties Mariners record with walkoff hit vs. Astros

Mariners manager Dan Wilson commended Crawford for his work ethic following Saturday’s win.

“He’s a gamer. … To find himself on the IL to start the year, he got back as quickly as he could and he put the work in, he put the at-bats in,” Wilson said. “We talked about that week down in spring training where he was able to get a ton of at-bats to be ready when his arm was ready, and when his arm was ready and he was in there, it’s like he didn’t miss a beat. Home run robbed in Anaheim – just his at-bats have been really good. And that’s a testament to him wanting to get back in that lineup and get back – not just to be in the lineup, but to contribute in a big way. And tonight was one of those opportunities, and again, stepped up, huge at-bat.”

Entering the series against the Astros, Crawford was just 2 for 17 (.118) with a .286 on-base percentage. But now as the M’s hit the road to start a three-game series in San Diego, he’s raised his average to .214 and on-base mark to .436.

At a time when fans are anticipating the eventual major league debut of shortstop and No. 1 Mariners prospect Colt Emerson, the 31-year-old Crawford is providing a reminder of the value he brings to the Mariners.

“He’s been a solid player. We’re seeing the defense isn’t quite what it was and it feels like another changing of the guard is coming. But right now, he’s big for this team,” Stelton said. “He’s a leader. And again, when he’s up at the plate, I’ve got a different level of confidence. Like I said, you’re going to get a good plate appearance out of him. Doesn’t always result in a base hit, but it’s rare that he’s going to go up there and look bad. … He kind of sets the tone.”

Hear the full discussion in the podcast at this link or in the player below. Catch Wyman and Bob live from 2-7 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

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