Julio Rodriguez aims to reverse course as Mariners host Reds

Mired in another early-season slump, Seattle's Julio Rodriguez was given a day off Sunday.

Even that didn't go as planned.

Rodriguez, called upon as a pinch runner in the ninth inning, was picked off for the final out in the Mariners' 3-2 loss to the visiting Chicago Cubs.

Rodriguez and the Mariners now will host the Cincinnati Reds in another interleague series beginning Monday night.

Rodriguez, 23, who has won a Silver Slugger award in each of his first two seasons, has proved to be a slow starter -- batting just .216 in March/April in his career. This season has been worse, as he's hitting .186 with one extra-base hit and has struck out in 33.3 percent of his plate appearances.

"Just let him unplug a little bit," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "I think (a day off is) really important, not just from a physical side but from a mental side."

Rodriguez likely wouldn't have played at all Sunday if left fielder Dominic Canzone hadn't sustained a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder while crashing into the wall making a catch in the second inning. Dylan Moore replaced Canzone, leaving the Mariners' bench a bit light when catcher Cal Raleigh singled with two outs in the ninth off Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay.

Servais called on Rodriguez, who served as the potential tying run. Alzolay caught Rodriguez leaning, and first baseman Michael Busch, who earlier homered for a fourth straight game, applied the tag.

Rodriguez originally was called safe by first-base umpire Doug Eddings. Cubs manager Craig Counsell challenged the call, and a video review overturned the decision, causing Rodriguez to walk off the field in disbelief.

"It's a frustrating loss," Servais said. "It's a series I truly felt we should have won. But you have to execute. We created chances for ourselves late in the game. But unfortunately, we didn't come through."

Servais refused to blame Rodriguez, noting the Mariners hit into inning-ending double plays in both the seventh and eighth.

"Julio is our fastest runner, and certainly you want to put him in the game," Servais said. "You've got to use all of your tools to help tie the game and then hopefully win it. With Julio there, you want to get him in the game and hopefully he can impact it there with his legs."

The Reds are coming off a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox in which they outscored the hosts 27-5. The sweep included an 11-4 victory Sunday.

"They all pitched well," said Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who had two hits, including a home run and four RBIs, in the finale.

"It made the infield and the outfielders almost have days off, it seemed like. We had a couple of really good plays in the outfield that were incredible, but for the most part, the pitchers were just dicing."

Graham Ashcraft allowed one earned run (two overall) on five hits and struck out eight over 5 2/3 innings as the Reds' rotation continued to be impressive.

"All of us but one (Frankie Montas) are really young. We're starting to come into our own more and more over each season, each game," Ashcraft said. "We are starting to execute those things that we've started to pick up on."

The Reds' Montas (2-1, 2.16 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday in Seattle against fellow right-hander George Kirby (1-2, 8.16). Montas is 2-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 12 career appearances against the M's, including nine starts. Kirby will face Cincinnati for the first time.