Mitch Haniger had a premonition. Shortly after the All-Star break, the struggling Seattle Mariners outfielder approached manager Scott Servais and told him, "I'm about to get hot." Haniger had two hits and homered both Friday and Saturday against visiting Philadelphia, his first time with multiple hits since June 10 against the lowly Chicago White Sox, to help the American League West-leading Mariners to a pair of victories against the National League East-leading Phillies.
Haniger and the Mariners hope that continues when they open a three-game series against visiting Detroit on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park. "He's had great years here where he's hit the long ball. He's been really consistent at the plate," Servais said.
"It's been a little frustrating for him -- like a lot of our guys early in the season -- to get it going. But players that have played as long as he has in the league, they feel it. He's starting to feel it and we need it.
" The oft-injured Haniger, who returned to the Mariners in an offseason trade after spending a year in San Francisco, had a strong spring training and the team hoped he might regain the form that made him an All-Star in 2018. Instead, he bottomed out in July when he hit just .159 and his playing time dwindled.
"My posture has been like messed up the whole first half," Haniger said. "I feel like after the second half, I kind of honed in on that and it's been improving a lot. "I had a great spring and instant success, and then it kind of did.