Julio Rodriguez (23-Seattle Mariners) made franchise history.

Rodriguez started in the No. 2 spot in the lineup against the Kansas City Royals at T-Mobile Park on Sunday, going 1-for-3 with a home run, one run scored and two RBIs in a 15-2 blowout victory. Seattle, which improved to 73-56 (.566 winning percentage) on the season, remained tied for first place in the American League West with the Texas Rangers.온라인카지노

The “meaningful” home run came in the bottom of the fifth inning, when they led 9-1. Rodriguez pulled on an 84.9 mph (136.6 km/h) slider from Kansas City right-hander Jackson Cowher and launched it over the left field wall for his 22nd home run of the season. Rodriguez reached the 50-homer plateau in just 256 big league games after debuting last year. It was the fastest 50-homer season in franchise history, surpassing franchise legends Alex Rodriguez (269 games) and Ken Griffey Jr. (377 games).

Rodriguez is Seattle’s “signature player. He broke out last year, batting .284 (145-for-511) with 28 home runs and 75 RBIs. Recognizing his value, he agreed to a multi-year contract worth up to $470 million ($623.7 million) with $210 million ($27.87 million) guaranteed last August. This season has not been without its ups and downs. In 124 games, he’s batting .279 (147-for-526) with 22 home runs and 82 RBIs. His on-base percentage (0.341) and slugging percentage (0.466) combine for an OPS of 0.807.

“It’s not my main focus,” Rodriguez said after setting the record, “I’m just happy to be able to contribute to the team and help the team win, and I’m going to keep trying.”