SEATTLE -- There’s a reason that the J-Rod Squad is positioned where it is at T-Mobile Park, and why its baby-blue banners are adorned with his catchphrase, “No Fly Zone.”
And Julio Rodríguez showed exactly why during the Mariners’ 7-4 loss to the Padres on Saturday, when making a remarkable home run robbery during the ninth inning to keep the game within reach.
Seattle’s star center fielder went way up and over the wall to yank back a Statcast-projected 389-foot liner from Rodolfo Durán -- marking Rodríguez's seventh career home run robbery. However, these stats are not officially tracked.
Making this one more dramatic, however, was that it was his first directly in front of the seats -- and fans -- among The J-Rod Squad.
“I was hyped about that,” Rodríguez said. “I can't lie. That was a great spot. I'm sure they got a great view from that.”
After covering 102 feet in 6.1 seconds and crashing into the wall, Rodríguez splayed across the warning track to catch his breath. But he was OK.
“It's a wall at the end of the day,” Rodríguez said. “It has some metals in it. But it definitely felt good to save some runs there and be able to make the play for the team.”
Rodríguez nearly had the chance to be an even bigger hero a half-inning later when stepping to the plate as the potential tying run in a game that the Mariners trailed by a notable margin much of the afternoon. But he hit into a forceout for the second out, then Josh Naylor grounded out -- and the rally was suddenly stopped short.
Durán’s flyout would’ve been his second homer of Saturday’s game after he took Logan Gilbert deep in the seventh inning to knock Seattle's Opening Day starter out for good.
The Padres are all too familiar with The J-Rod Show, having now been victims of two of his seven robberies -- and arguably the best among them. That would be the Cheshire Cat moment from August 2023, when Rodríguez took back a homer from good buddy Fernando Tatis Jr. and fooled everybody in the building into thinking it cleared the fence.
Rodríguez also had one earlier this year, off Aaron Judge during the World Baseball Classic, a half-inning after being drilled by a Paul Skenes fastball.
Rodríguez has said the robberies are his favorite feats on a baseball field, especially after recreating his body in the upper Minors to handle the rigors of center field. But he somewhat changed course on Saturday, saying that he prefers hitting homers more.
“I can't split my heart on that,” Rodríguez said. “I definitely love making the huge defensive plays, but I love hitting the huge home runs too.”
For those keeping score, the Padres also got even with him earlier this season in San Diego, when Jackson Merrill robbed a would-be Julio homer on April 15. That game remains arguably Seattle’s most stinging loss of the season, too, as Merrill later walked the Mariners off as part of a five-run ninth.
And it has played into this being a very one-sided Vedder Cup this season, as San Diego is one win away in Sunday’s finale from a clean, 6-0 sweep.