It was sincere and straightforward; something you would expect one brother to say about another on an opposing team:

“I hope he goes out and has four hits tonight and we still win.”

It was said almost prophetically by 26-year-old Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager about his older brother Kyle Seager, the 32-year-old All-Star/Gold Glove third baseman for the Seattle Mariners, with whom the Dodgers began a four-game interleague series on Monday night at Dodger Stadium, with the final two games to be played at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Wednesday and Thursday.

The first part of Corey’s prophecy nearly played out, as Kyle ended up going 3-for-4 with two singles, a solo home run, a walk, and a strikeout on the night.

The second part did play out, as the Dodgers pulled off an exciting come-from-behind 11-9 win over the Mariners in a game that saw seven home runs hit … including a three-run shot by the younger Seager in the bottom of the second inning, to go along with his single to right in the seventh. Corey also drew a walk in the bottom of the eighth.

Kyle would return the favor with a solo shot of his own to deep center in the top of the third as part of a five-run inning off of struggling Dodgers right-hander Ross Stripling, who never made it to the fourth.

But it was Corey’s leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh that set the stage for a Dodgers five-run inning, their second of the game, that turned a then 8-6 deficit into an 11-8 Dodgers lead after a huge two-run home run by Dodgers second baseman Kiké Hernandez.

“It was big. We obviously needed every run we could get,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame. “I thought, offensively, it was a very well executed game plan; the at-bats we took all night long, I thought were great; the baserunning very good; Mookie [Betts] swinging the bat well; Corey matching his brother blow-for-blow, that was the game within the game. It was a lot of fun.”

Fun indeed; albeit intense fun.

Play Ball!

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