ARLINGTON -- Robinson Cano continued his hot start with a second home run in two nights -- this one to the second deck at Globe Life Park -- as the Mariners topped Texas, 10-2, on Tuesday night.
Cano had just two homers through his first 67 games last year, though he heated up enough to finish the season with 21, then hit a career-best seven bombs in Spring Training.
'It feels good, man," Cano said. "I know a lot of people will say, 'You're hitting homers, good job.' But you know what? Get it while you can. Thank God I was able to take advantage of two pitches right down the middle.
"That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to be ready. Last year, I was taking a lot of pitches right down the middle and I went home and said, 'I want to be ready from the first pitch.'"
Cano jumped on former teammate Tom Wilhelmsen's first offering in the eighth inning and drove a shot projected at 420 feet by Statcast™, into the upper deck in right field.
"I know he's a guy that is tough and has a nasty slider and breaking ball," Cano said. "I was like, throw something over the plate and I'll be ready."
With teammate Nelson Cruz slugging his first homer of the year with a solo shot off starter Martin Perez in the fourth, the heart of the Mariners order is off to a nice start.
"Nellie took early work today and made adjustments and looked really good and took it into the game," manager Scott Servais said. "And the ball Robbie hit was just a bomb. He got all of it. He was very aggressive all night.
"He feels good. He's going to get up there and let it rip when he is feeling good. Those were big, big swings of the bat by those guys."