"First of many" - Julio Rodriguez's girlfriend Jordyn Huitema celebrates maiden home run of the season for Mariners

Julio Rodriguez hit his first home run of the season on Tuesday, helping the Seattle Mariners record a 4-0 win over defending World Series champions Texas Rangers.

This was an important moment for both player and team, as the Mariners moved atop the AL West, and Rodriguez got a much-needed confidence boost after starting the season on a slump.

Rodriguez's girlfriend, Seattle Reign star Jordyn Huitema, took to Instagram stories to celebrate the home run, captioning her post:

"First of many."

Jordyn Huitema celebrates Julio Rodriguez's home run

Hitting a home run against a division rival looking to retain the World Series in 2024 was a big moment for Julio Rodriguez, who will look to build on that. Take a look at the hit below:

This season, Rodriguez has recorded 25 hits, nine runs, one home run, 10 RBIs and six stolen bases, batting at a .278 average. With 11 of those hits coming in the last five games, Rodriguez is finding his form.

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Julio Rodriguez discusses importance of home run after disappointing start to 2024 MLB season

After the hit, an emotional Julio Rodriguez embraced the Mariners' trident and discussed the moment in a post-game interview.

"It was ‘long time, no see’ to my good friend,” Rodriguez said about hugging the trident.

Rodriguez went into detail, acknowledging his mistakes and explaining how good it felt to hit that home run:

“Being able to get that good pitch and being able to drive it like how I know I can, it definitely felt really good. There've been a lot of mistakes that I've been just on them, but just fouling it off. But on that one, I definitely did not miss it.”

With the Mariners moving into first place in the West at 12-11, optimism is high around the fanbase. Rodriguez is beginning to come into form at a good time for the franchise, which hopes to win the AL West for the first time since 2001 and make some noise in the postseason.