Almost lost in the shadows of Mike Zunino’s breakout performance Saturday was a four-hit effort by Danny Valencia in the Mariners’ 9-2 romp over the Tampa Bay Rays at Safeco Field.
Then again, everything paled in comparison to Zunino’s monster seven-RBI night, which included a 441-foot grand slam that reached the upper deck in left field. For a moment, the ball seemed capable of leaving the stadium.
But while the Mariners are hoping Zunino is finally pointed in the right direction, Valencia is on a sustained run. He has seven hits and a walk in his last eight plate appearances and his slash numbers are up to .