Raleigh maintains relaxed vibe after snapping hitless skid

This story was excerpted from Daniel Kramer's Mariners Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

HOUSTON -- Logan Gilbert said that Cal Raleigh’s full-uniform shower heard ‘round the league came with pics to prove it. But the Mariners’ Opening Day starter won’t be publicly disseminating them.

Are they at least suitable for print?

“They are, but I’m not giving them up,” Gilbert joked.

Raleigh was still heckling himself one day after snapping an 0-for-38 with two singles in Tuesday's dominant win, telling sideline reporter Brad Adam he was surprised he didn’t get the on-field postgame interview. That instead went to Dominic Canzone, who crushed a grand slam and nearly left the yard with another.

Unfortunately, the right side discomfort that Raleigh experienced earlier this month resurfaced during the eighth inning of Seattle's walk-off loss on Wednesday -- which forced him to exit. The Mariners didn't have much of an update postgame, other than that it was "precautionary," per manager Dan Wilson, and they will know more Thursday.

As for the feel-good moment on Tuesday, Raleigh was smiling wide on first base -- only to turn to the visiting dugout, which is all the way on the third-base line at Daikin Park. There, everyone leapt from the bench with their hands hoisted high.

“I was just rolling my eyes because I knew everybody was going to be making a big deal about it,” Raleigh said postgame, again through a smile he couldn’t contain. “But it felt good to barrel one up.”

These self-deprecating actions of humorous humility are what you want to see.

For both an accomplished player in the midst of a career-worst slump, and more broadly, a talented team that’s admittedly not played its best baseball through the season’s first seven weeks.

“We poke fun at him enough as it is, but I think you’ve got to make light of it,” pitcher Bryan Woo said. “Baseball is too hard to keep beating yourself down. And the guy hit 60 homers last year and he was, like, struggling to get a hit. It’s just a weird game, man.”

The reaction to Raleigh’s first hit in 15 days stole the show, but there have been other moments on this road trip where this collective attitude has shined.

Julio Rodríguez gave a heckling Astros fan a taste of his own medicine when calling his shot and homering off a billboard advertisement during batting practice on Monday. The fan had wagered his shoes -- flip flops -- that the star center fielder couldn’t, but Rodríguez good-naturedly returned them after.

Bryce Miller returned to the clubhouse permanently over the weekend, and through the Mariners’ social media team, provided hilarious B-roll making fun of Gilbert going through his meticulous pregame routine.

Miller, who is arguably the most affable within this diverse roster, has been missed mightily while recovering from an oblique strain since Feb. 26 -- most of all for vibes.

“He's definitely a big part of it,” Gilbert said. “When he's talking to other people, you can't really have a serious conversation with him, but in a good way. There are a lot of times in season that people need that.”

Aside from Raleigh’s slump-busting night, Andrés Muñoz had a huge rebound when striking out Yordan Alvarez to seal Monday’s win. He’s struggled mightily with confidence throughout April, after taking three losses in his first 16 outings.

But he’s credited teammates for helping get him through the bad, which he was reminded of after a night of good.

“Alvarez is a great hitter and Muñy, I think, is one of the best closers in the game,” Rodríguez said. “It was a good challenge for him and I hope that he took that from that -- that he’s still got it. It’s OK, going through tough times in the season, but he’s still got it. He’s still one of the best in the league.”

Randy Arozarena might’ve summarized this dynamic most succinctly, after his first four-hit night with the Mariners on Tuesday.

“Everyone is playing loose,” Arozarena said through an interpreter. “And it’s showing.”

That’s as cliché a saying as there is in baseball. But it’s true, because most teams are better when playing loose. That’s particularly true of this team, encompassing a cast of characters that’s incredibly close-knit.

And Josh Naylor might’ve summed this part up best.

“We all know how hard this game is,” Naylor said. “Sometimes you struggle to extremes. ... So, when you do succeed at one time, we're going to uplift you to the max, because we know how tough it is. And we love you as a teammate, and we love your work ethic, and it's going to be all right.

“That's why I grabbed the baseball -- to remind him, like, here's your first hit. You sucked. So did I for like a month and a half. We're all going to suck at some point. ... But we're human, and we're going to figure it out, because we're here in this together.”