Mariners Greatest Hits: Second Baseman Robinson Cano

July 18th, 2015

Two games after the 2015 MLB All-Star Game, Cano was ready to start his 2nd half of the season with a bang.

His 1st half was lackluster by all standards. He had only hit six home runs and driven in 30 RBIs and was hitting .251. After his triple-slash of .287/.334/.446 in 2014, those type of numbers weren’t going to cut it.

As our own, Colby Patnode, emphasized, Cano was battling two sports hernias in the back half of 2015. That didn’t stop Cano from having one of his best halves in an M’s uniform thus far.

Cano was facing his former team in Yankee stadium for the 2nd time since he came to Mariners, which surely motivated him to make the Yanks front office regret letting him go.

Cano didn’t hesitate to make the Yankees pay. In his first at-bat in the 1st inning, Cano crushed a two-run shot to center, bringing in Kyle Seager. It was his first home run in his old stomping ground and his second against his former club.

In the 3rd, Cano reached base for the second time via a single, but he had another big punch to land on the Yankees.

In the 6th, Cano blasted another shot into the stands, again scoring himself and Seager. More importantly, it put the Mariners up 4-2, giving his new team enough of a cushion to ride out the day with a victory.

The Yankees would make the game interesting, putting two runners on base in the 9th before one of them would score to cut the lead to 4-3. But the M’s closed the game out.

Cano’s two home run day was his first since July 1st, 2013 and it is still tied for the most he’s hit in one game in a Mariners or Yankees uniform. Since arriving in Seattle, Cano has had seven multi-home run games and has knocked in four or more runs eight times.