Mariners: Trader Jerry strikes as Jake Bauers hits go-ahead home run

Whether or not you agree with the number of trades that Jerry Dipoto has made, we can all agree that the one he made late last week has been working out so far for the Mariners. He snagged Jake Bauers from Cleveland after they had DFA’d him, and he was instantly thrown into the Mariners lineup.

It had to be a roller coaster for Bauers, who went from being told he would no longer be on the Cleveland club, to find out that he was in fact now a member of the Seattle Mariners. Oh, and in just a few short hours he not only needed to be there, but he would be starting at first base for them in that game.

Jump ahead a few games, and Bauer had been doing just fine for the Mariners. His moment in the spotlight was on its way, and it would happen during the series opener against the Minnesota Twins.

In a tie game, Jake Bauers got ahold of one and launched his first home run as a Mariner.

It was a 3-3 game, and the Mariners had already clawed back from a 3-1 deficit to the Twins. France had doubled home Fraley in the 5th, who in turn scored on the first triple of the year from Dylan Moore.

With Hansel Robles on the mound, Bauers stepped to the plate. He thought he had gotten enough of a ball back in the 5th, but it was just a long out, courtesy of the cool Seattle air. This time, he got a little more, hitting it just past the outstretched glove of Nick Gordon. Things may have been different if the original centerfielder, Gilberto Celestino, was still in the game, but the Twins pinch-hit Luis Arraez for him the inning prior.

The ball cleared the wall by less than a foot, and Bauers had given the Mariners the 4-3 lead on his first home run with the team, and his first major league home run since May 19th. It gave the Mariners the series-opening win as they look to take advantage of the Twins in a very winnable series.

It’s capped off a nice little five-game stretch for Jake Bauers since the Mariners acquired him. Since joining the team, he is hitting .263 with two walks, a double, a home run, and three rbi, reaching base in four of five games. He looks to be a nice piece that will stick around for the team, as long as he keeps hitting. He takes the role that Marmolejos had to start the season, slotting in at first and spot starts in the outfield.