Less than a handful of games into the season, and there’s already a Tim Beckham T-shirt available in Seattle.
Beckham is pictured on the front of the shirt, a bat sailing out of his hands with the words “Flip It Like Beckham.” It’s a nod to the 2002 movie “Bend It Like Beckham,” the title of which was an homage to soccer star David Beckham.
Tim Beckham, a former No. 1 overall draft pick, finally seems to have found a home, if only temporarily.
Beckham went 5-for-7 with a home run in Seattle’s season-opening, two-game series against the Oakland A’s last week in Japan, then hit two home runs off Boston ace Chris Sale on Thursday as the Mariners won their home opener, 12-4.
The defending World Series champion Red Sox rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat the Mariners 7-6 Friday night on pinch hitter Mitch Moreland’s three-run homer in the ninth inning.
The teams continue their four-game series Saturday night, with Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (13-5, 3.82 ERA in 2018) set to face Mariners right-hander Mike Leake (10-10, 4.36 last season).
Beckham, 29, was signed to a one-year, $1.75 million deal in the offseason, primarily to play shortstop until J.P. Crawford, acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies, is ready to be promoted from Triple-A Tacoma.
Beckham might have other ideas. He went 1-for-4 on Friday drop his average to .500 (8-for-16).
“It’s a good feeling,” Beckham told MLB.com of his hot start. “No matter what team you’re on, you want to come out and play winning baseball. I’m here in Seattle with a great group of guys who love to compete. I love it. It fires me up. But as far as a good start? It’s (four) games into the season. Tomorrow is a new day.”
Beckham said the Mariners players aren’t worried about the “step-back” plan instituted by general manager Jerry Dipoto in the offseason, when he traded away the likes of Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, Jean Segura and James Paxton and let Nelson Cruz walk as a free agent.
“We’re ballplayers,” Beckham said. “We come to play a game. … We’re here between the white lines. It’s baseball, and we’re expected to produce. When you’re in the lineup, productivity is expected. As far as the rebuild and everything else, we’ll leave that to the front office. That’s out of our control.”
Rodriguez is 2-2 with a 3.58 ERA in five career starts against the Mariners. Leake is 1-3 with a 5.30 ERA in six starts against the Red Sox.
Rodriguez, 25, had a solid spring and enters a season healthy for the first time as a major-leaguer. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said it’s time for Rodriguez to evolve into being his own man. In the past, Rodriguez leaned heavily on veteran teammates such as David Price, Chris Sale and Rick Porcello.
“We want Eduardo Rodriguez. We don’t want a mix of David and Chris and Rick,” Cora said, according to MassLive.com. “We don’t want a blend. We want him to be who he is because his stuff is that good. I think he finally understands that.”