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White Sox Game Recaps

White Sox 7, Mariners 5 (7 Innings): Yermin Mercedes and Zack Collins power offense to victory

White Sox win

Yermin Mercedes ended the suspended game grounding into a double play. After a uniform change and 45-minute break, Mercedes jump-started the offense in the first inning with a two-run double. Add in Zack Collins driving in four runs on two doubles, and the White Sox coasted to a 7-5 win avoiding getting swept at home. 

A sputtering offense didn’t waste any time against Seattle starting pitcher Robert Dugger. Tim Anderson and Brian Goodwin both singled within the first three pitches thrown. Yasmani Grandal walked, which loaded the bases for Mercedes. Fighting regression, Mercedes was demonstrating a lower-half adjustment by shortening up his leg kick. Cutting the height by half, Mercedes turned on Dugger’s 92.5 mph sinker, hitting a line drive into the left-field corner. Two runs scored, and the White Sox were still in business with runners in scoring position. 

Collins was next and didn’t have the most competitive at-bat. It ended with him weakly hitting a grounder to first base that Grandal could not score. Andrew Vaughn’s almost sliced a fly ball down the right-field line, which would have scored two runs, but instead sailed foul at the last possible moment. Vaughn would strikeout ending the threat, but the White Sox will put up two runs showing signs of life. 

Ryan Burr started the bullpen day and continues to put up scoreless outings. In two innings, Burr struck two without allowing a base runner. It was the stress-free bullpen outing that has been missing from the White Sox. 

Can’t say the same for Garrett Crochet. After his past two outings where he struggled, Crochet needed a clean inning to get back on track. Instead, he missed the strike zone, frequently walking three in the third inning. Crochet did get one out on a grounder hit to Leury Garcia, who tried to start a double play with Tim Anderson, but the relay throw to first base sailed. 

Tony La Russa saw enough from Crochet and replaced him with Evan Marshall to face Mitch Haniger with the bases loaded. Marshall struck out Haniger, who appeared to get hit in the hand while whiffing. Next was Kyle Seager, and Marshall walked him for Seattle’s first run. Ty France ended the inning with an infield pop fly that Marshall caught awkwardly, but the White Sox still held a 2-1 lead. 

Later that inning, after Mercedes reached on an error, Collins found his stroke. Smashing a line drive over Taylor Trammell’s head in center field for an RBI double and the Sox were ahead 3-1. The following inning, now with the bases loaded, Mercedes hit a slow chopper to Seager. Despite looking back at the ball twice, Mercedes slid into first base and beat Seager’s throw to the bag. Not a wise decision by Mercedes, but it did plate another run, and the Sox were up 4-1. 

Continuing the day’s theme, Collins pulled a 96-mph fastball down the right-field line clearing the bases for a three-RBI double. 

From that point, the White Sox coasted. Seattle didn’t collect their first hit until the sixth inning with Jimmy Lambert on the mound. The Mariners had a rally going as Dylan Moore collected an RBI single to make it 7-2. Jacob Farley, who had a back-breaking home run earlier in the series, singled to right field. Seager tried to score from second base, but Luis Gonzalez made a perfect throw to home plate for the third out. 

Jimmy Lambert hit a wall in the seventh inning. Frequently missing his spot, the Mariners had runners on first and second with Haniger at the plate. On a hanging slider, Haniger hit a three-run homer to make it a two-run game. Now being a save situation, La Russa went back to Liam Hendriks. He won his 10-pitch battle against Shed Long, and got France to line out to Garcia at second to pick up his 20th save of the season. 

Game Notes: 

    • Tim Anderson, Yermin Mercedes, and Zack Collins had two hits apiece. 
    • Luis Gonzalez went 1-for-2 with a walk plus his outfield assist. 
    • White Sox hitters had as many walks as strikeouts, with seven each. 

Record: 45-32 | Box Score

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