The Seattle Mariners are paying Julio Rodriguez $18 million this season to play center field. The 25-year-old keeping up with how many outs there are in an inning would be the least he could do for the ball club, but Rodriguez failed to do so during Tuesday's contest against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Fortunately for Rodriguez, his gaffe in center field happened when the game was so far out of reach for Seattle that it didn't really have much impact. That, however, doesn't mean it wasn't a wildly embarrassing moment for the three-time All-Star.
With the Mariners trailing the Brewers 19-0 in the eighth inning, Milwaukee's Christian Yelich hit a routine pop-up to Rodriguez in center field. Rodriguez made the routine catch, and as outfielders typically do when recording the final out of the inning, he tossed the ball towards a group of fans beyond the wall.
Julio Rodríguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners looks on before a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ross Turteltaub/Getty Images) (Ross Turteltaub/Getty Images)
The one very important issue with that is Rodriguez's catch wasn't the third out of the inning; it was the second.
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With the ball being chucked while the bases were loaded for the Brewers, Milwaukee scored two runs on the play: a runner tagged up from third base, and the runner on second advanced to home plate. Per the rules of baseball, each runner on base advances two bases in this instance.
Julio Rodríguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners walks to the dugout during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on July 24, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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When it was all said and done, Seattle suffered its worst loss in franchise history on Tuesday, falling 22-0 to the Brewers. The Mariners began the eighth inning trailing 13-0, but surrendered a whopping nine runs in the frame.
Rodriguez turning his brain off for a split second in a game that was long, long over is somewhat forgivable. It's fair to say he and his teammates were ready for things to end as quickly as possible, and his tossing of the baseball in the stands was a reaction to just that.
Julio Rodríguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners runs off the field during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ross Turteltaub/Getty Images) (Ross Turteltaub/Getty Images)
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Seattle third baseman Leo Rivas took the mound as an emergency reliever in the eighth inning and was essentially thrown to the wolves as he gave up nine hits and nine runs in his lone frame of work.
Rodriguez also went 0-for-4 at the plate with two strikeouts against the Brewers. It was the quintessential night to forget for the young star and his club.
Mark Harris is a writer for OutKick.
