Major League Baseball

Slumping Cano insists he isn't 'pressing' at the plate

Published Jun. 6, 2015 12:15 p.m. ET

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The Seattle Mariners lost another frustrating game on Friday night, as a solo home run hit by Logan Forsythe off closer Fernando Rodney in the ninth inning gave the Tampa Bay Rays a 1-0 win.

Indicative of the M's recent cold streak, a leadoff triple by Austin Jackson in the bottom of the ninth yielded nothing, as the next three hitters were unable to plate the tying run.

After the game, manager Lloyd McClendon tried to give things a positive spin, noting the solid game thrown by starter J.A. Happ. As he said to Bob Dutton of the News Tribune to that effect, "It’s very encouraging, which leads me to believe when we do come out of this, we’re going to go on a tear. The only way you come out of it is to stay the course."

Echoing that sentiment was All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano, whose offensive struggles this season have been well-documented. After play Friday, Cano is slashing just .243/.283/.326, and he grounded out with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning to further exacerbate the Mariners' offensive woes. 

Despite his continued uncharacteristic issues at the plate, Cano deflected any suggestions that he's trying too hard, telling Dutton that, "I’m not pressing. Right now, it’s a whole team situation. We’ve just got to keep grinding and keep fighting. I’m always going to stay positive. I hit a ground ball with the bases loaded today, and I might have the same situation tomorrow and hit a double or get a single. That's how this game is."

The M's, currently 24-31 and holding on to fourth place in the A.L. West by just two games over the Oakland A's, should have the skills to get on a roll. Once that happens, Cano said, things will be fine: "...when we get out of this, we’re going to have a lot of fun.”

(h/t News Tribune)

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