Aoki making impact despite struggles at plate

OAKLAND — The Mariners need leadoff hitter Norichika Aoki to get on base and they don’t care how he does it, as long as he’s out there running and bothering opposing pitchers and putting himself in position to score.

So while Aoki’s batting average stood at .225 going into Tuesday’s game against the A’s, manager Scott Servais was encouraged by the nine walks the 34-year-old had drawn in the previous seven games after walking just twice in his first 17.

“I see a lot of good stuff,” Servais said. “The key for me is he’s been walking a ton lately. Even though he wasn’t swinging the bat great, he’s still finding ways to get on base and realizing he can still help the team even without getting a lot of hits.”

Aoki reached base three times in Monday’s 4-3 win with a single, double and walk and scored the winning …

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