Julio Rodríguez stars as the Mariners stop 4-game slide with 9-5 victory over the Nationals

Updated May. 26, 2024 5:34 p.m. ET

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Julio Rodríguez homered and drove in four runs, and the Seattle Mariners snapped a four-game losing streak with a 9-5 win against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

Ty France hit a two-run homer and singled home the go-ahead run for Seattle, which finished 4-6 on an East Coast trip.

With Seattle trailing 5-4, J.P. Crawford doubled leading off the eighth against Dylan Floro (1-1). Crawford took third on a wild pitch and scored on a one-out single by Rodríguez, snapping Floro's 22-inning scoreless streak.

“Huge game by Julio,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "Really happy for him. Everybody’s happy to see it. That’s the Julio Rodríguez we’ve grown to know over the last couple of years and hopefully he can keep that going. That’s the best he’s looked all year.”

Rodríguez stole second and scored when France grounded a single to right. Rodríguez also capped Seattle's three-run ninth with an opposite-field single that drove in two runs.

“I definitely loved the bases-loaded single to the other side on the fastball," Rodríguez said. "The homer was cool and everything but in that moment right there, the moment it happened, I feel like I liked that one the most.”

Austin Voth (2-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.

Washington had jumped in front with four runs in the seventh, highlighted by CJ Abrams' three-run homer off the right-field foul pole against Ryne Stanek.

Joey Gallo also went deep for Washington, which completed a 3-3 homestand.

“We put some good at-bats together late in the game,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We just couldn’t finish today.”

After managing just two runs in its previous three games, Seattle scored three in the fourth against Patrick Corbin, who entered with a 6.29 ERA.

Rodríguez, who snapped an 0-for-15 skid with a home run on Saturday, hit a leadoff drive to left-center. After Mitch Garver walked, France hit a two-run shot to left.

Gallo made it 4-1 with his two-out homer in the fifth.

Washington had the tying run at the plate in the sixth when Luis García Jr. hit a foul fly down the left field line. Jonatan Clase raced over to try to make a play, but a fan reached over the railing and caught the ball.

García was ruled out due to fan interference, and the call was upheld after a challenge by the Nationals.

“He had a Julio Rodríguez jersey on and I give him credit there," Servais said. "I don't know if Clase would have been able to be able to catch it. He certainly looked like he was going to catch it. My first reaction was ‘That’s fan interference,’ and I was like kind of ticked about it and then I saw he had a Julio jersey on and I said ‘Hey, nice job.’ He helped us out. We’ll take it.”

Seattle right-hander Bryan Woo allowed three runs and five hits over six-plus innings. It was this first time in four starts this season that he allowed more than one run.

Corbin was charged with four runs, three earned, and four hits over six innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: 2B Jorge Polanco left in the seventh inning with right hamstring tightness. ... LHP Tayler Saucedo (right knee hyperextension) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list. To make room for Saucedo, RHP Eduard Bazardo was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.

Nationals: OF Lane Thomas (left MCL sprain) worked out at Nationals Park. He will travel to Atlanta with the team and could be activated Monday.

UP NEXT

Mariners: RHP Bryce Miller (3-5, 3.53 ERA) starts when Seattle opens a four-game home series against the Astros on Monday night.

Nationals: Rookie LHP Mitchell Parker (3-2, 3.32 ERA) makes his eighth start when Washington opens a four-game series at Atlanta on Monday.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB