NEW YORK — The Mariners' magical month of August, when the team racked up a 21-6 record and pushed itself to the top of the American League West, has also resulted in individual awards for two key contributors during that stretch.
On Sunday evening, Major League Baseball announced its monthly award winners, with Julio Rodriguez being named the American League player of the month and Andres Munoz selected as the American League reliever of the month.
While they don't offer up the voting totals or breakdowns, it's difficult to imagine Rodriguez not being a unanimous selection considering the ridiculous numbers he put up in August.
In 23 games, he posted a .429/.474/.724 slash line in 114 plate appearances with 45 hits — including 10 doubles and seven homers — 19 runs scored, 30 RBI, eight walks (two intentional), 21 strikeouts and 11 stolen bases. He had just three games when he didn't register a hit.
Rodríguez led AL players in August in batting average (.429), hits (45), doubles (10), RBI (30), stolen bases (11), on-base percentage (.474), slugging percentage (.724), OPS (1.198), total bases (76) and fWAR (2.4).
On July 31, Rodriguez had a .251/.315/.423 season slash line. Following his final game of August, he had a .286/.346/.482 slash line.
For the season, Rodriguez has a .285/.343/.482 slash line with 32 doubles, two triples, 24 homers, 88 RBI, 36 stolen bases, 41 walks and 146 strikeouts.
He is the first Mariners player to win AL player of the month since Nelson Cruz in April 2015. And the first Mariners player age 22 or younger to win since Alex Rodriguez (age 21) in August 1996.
With Paul Sewald traded to the Diamondbacks on Aug. 1, Muñoz saw his status in the Mariners' bullpen elevated into even higher-leverage situations. While the organization doesn't believe in specific roles in the bullpen, often mentioned by manager Scott Servais, Muñoz has seen the bulk of the save situations since Sewald's departure.
In 14 appearances in August, he posted a 1-1 record with nine saves in 11 opportunities and a 1.93 earned-run average. In 14 innings, he allowed 11 hits and three earned runs with seven walks and 20 strikeouts.
Muñoz is the second Mariners pitcher to win AL reliever of the month since the award was first given out in 2017. He joins Edwin Díaz, who won the award five times with Seattle (July 2017, April 2018, June 2018, July 2018, August 2018).
The last time the Mariners had two players in monthly awards was when Diaz won reliever of the month in July of 2017 and James Paxton was named the AL pitcher of the month.
American League and National League players of the month
* AL — Julio Rodríguez, Mariners
* NL — Mookie Betts, Dodgers
American League and National League pitchers of the month
* AL — Cole Ragans, Royals
* NL — Freddy Peralta, Brewers
American League and National League rookies of the month
* AL — Zack Gelof, A's
* NL — James Outman, Dodgers
American League and National League relievers of the month
* AL — Andres Muñoz, Mariners
* NL — Raisel Iglesias, Braves
France feeling better
Ty France was in good spirits Sunday morning despite the noticeable seam marks on the inside of his right elbow after taking 95-mph sinker off it in Saturday from Mets reliever Graham Hartwig.
The pain forced him out of the game and kept him out of the lineup in Sunday's finale as a precaution. It was the 29th time France has been hit by a pitch this season, which is the most in MLB.
France said that treatment had helped reduced the swelling in the elbow and allowed him to take swings on Sunday. He expects to play Monday in Cincinnati.
Pitching probables vs. Reds
The Mariners will remain in rotation for the upcoming series in Cincinnati and will also face one of their former prospects in major-league debut.
The matchups:
* Monday (1:10 p.m. PT): Bryan Woo, RHP vs. To Be Determined,
* Tuesday (3:40 p.m. PT): Bryce Miller, RHP vs. Connor Phillips, RHP
* Wednesday (3:40 p.m. PT): Logan Gilbert, RHP vs. Lyon Richardson, RHP
Phillips will be making his MLB debut against the team that selected him in the second round of the 2020 MLB draft out of McLennan Community College. He was later sent as the player to be named later in the trade that sent pitchers Brandon Williamson and Justin Dunn and outfielder Jake Fraley to the Reds in exchange for Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker.
Phillips is rated as the No. 4 prospect in the Reds organization. In 24 starts and one relief appearance between Class AA and AAA, Phillips has a 4-5 record with a 3.86 ERA. In 105 innings pitched, he's struck out 154 batters with 57 walks.
