At some point, perhaps the Mariners will simply position Sam Haggerty in foul territory at the start of every pitch.
He sure has a knack for ending a lot of plays there lately.
Haggerty had three more acrobatic attempts at pop-ups in the left-field foul territory — not to mention a home run off Cy Young contender Max Friend to break open a scoreless game in the fifth inning — in the Mariners’ 3-1 victory over Atlanta on Saturday night at T-Mobile Park.
“Somehow,” manager Scott Servais said, “he finds a way to affect the game every time he’s in there.”
In the third inning Saturday, Haggerty juggled the first pop-up before completing the catch. On the very next pitch, he made a sliding attempt at a pop-up closer to the foul line — that one popped in and out of his glove.
“The second one,” Haggerty said, “was an easier play that should have been made.”
He was back in foul territory to make a sliding catch in front of the short wall in left for the final out of the eighth inning. That came 10 days after his Spider-Man heroics in Detroit, when he jumped full speed into the netting to try to catch a pop foul.
“That’s just what my role is on this team. Speed is probably my greatest asset, so that’s an opportunity for me to use it,” Haggerty said. “And I expect myself to make a good run at those plays.”
With Dylan Moore (oblique strain) still on the injured list — his timetable to return isn’t clear — Haggerty is the Mariners’ lone super-utility man. He’s their best pinch runner off the bench, and a switch hitter, and their best option as a late-inning defensive replacement.
Question is, has Haggerty earned more of a regular role in left field?
“‘Hags’ is playing great,” Servais said. “And when you’re playing these games, when every out is so critical, he does a great job in the outfield. You see the range he displayed last night, (taking) a few foul balls and turning them into outs. Those are huge when you’re playing these type of games against a really good team. I don’t know what he’ll do in today’s game. Maybe a bunt. Maybe a stolen base. Maybe a catch. Maybe a home run. I don’t know, but he’ll do something. And that’s why he’s in there. He’s earned it.”
Haggerty was indeed back in the lineup Sunday, batting ninth, against Atlanta’s Jake Odorizzi. It was a rare start against a right-handed pitcher for Haggerty, who came into Sunday hitting .212 with a .563 OPS in 93 plate appearances from the left side this season.
As a right-handed batter, Haggerty is hitting a torrid .447 with a 1.339 OPS in 54 plate appearances.
And sure enough, Haggerty had two big moments in the fourth inning of Sunday’s series finale against the Braves.
In left field, Haggerty made a sprawling catch near sprinting toward corner — in fair territory, this time — to take a double away from Matt Olson.
Then, with two outs in the bottom half of the fourth, he hit a high fastball from Odorizzi the other way for a solid single to drive in Adam Frazier from third base with two outs, extending the Mariners’ lead to 4-1. Frazier had given the Mariners the lead with a two-run triple off the wall in right-center.
Jesse Winker, the M’s regular left fielder, was in the lineup as the designated hitter Sunday, batting seventh.
Day off for France
All-Star first baseman Ty France was not in the lineup Sunday as he continues to manage a minor wrist injury that has bothered him off and on during the second half of the season.
With a day off Monday, followed by a night game Tuesday against the Padres at home, Servais saw this as a chance to give France extended rest.
“We really need Ty — we need good Ty,” Servais said. “We’re a different lineup when he’s out there swinging it like he can.”