CHICAGO (AP) — Jorge Polanco hit two solo homers and added an RBI single to help the Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3 on Saturday night.
The Mariners remained a game behind first-place Houston in the AL West.
Cal Raleigh cracked his team-leading 21st homer, and Victor Robles had three hits and an RBI as Seattle (55-51) won its second straight and handed major league-worst Chicago its 13th consecutive loss, one short of the team record. The Mariners, who once led the division by 10 games, have just three wins in their last 11.
The Mariners have struggled at the plate much of the season, but followed up with a second solid offensive showing after Friday’s 10-0 win.
“The story for me is really offensively,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “Polo (Polanco) a huge night with the two home runs and big RBI single at the end. Victor Robles, wow, what he’s done for our club, not just on the field (in center), but how he plays and the energy he plays with.”
Polanco’s sixth career multi-homer game gave him three home runs in his last two contests and moved him up to nine for the season. His average has climbed to just .209 after a rough first half.
“I’m feeling really good at the plate that last couple of, games,” Polanco said. “You just got to keep working on things and it’s paying off right now. I’m on time for the fastball right now, at the beginning of the season it wasn’t too much.”
All-Star Randy Arozarena made his Seattle debut, batting second and playing left field after being acquired from Tampa Bay on Thursday. The 2021 AL Rookie of the Year went 1 for 4 with an infield single, a walk and two strikeouts.
The White Sox (27-80) have lost 19 of 22 and are 53 or more games under .500 for the first time since they were 46-99 in 1932. Chicago has sunk past the the 1962 Mets (28-79) for the worst record through 107 games.
Polanco and Raleigh went deep back-to-back off reliever Justin Anderson in the fifth as the Mariners hit consecutive homers for the second straight game against Chicago and for just the second time this season.
Bryan Woo allowed a run on four hits in four innings, then was followed by five relievers. Collin Snider (1-1) pitched a scoreless fifth for the win.
Right-hander Yimi Garcia, obtained from Toronto on Friday, made his Mariners debut with a 1-2-3 seventh. Andrés Muñoz got the final four outs for his 17th save.
Erick Fedde (7-4) allowed three runs on six hits in four innings, his shortest outing in 22 starts this season. Rookie Brooks Baldwin had two doubles among three hits.
Fedde labored in the fourth when he was tagged for all three runs.
“Fedde started the game really sharp, ran into a little bit of trouble there,” Chicago manager Pedro Grifol said. “A couple of walks. Pitch count got really high. Threw 30 pitches in that inning, and we’re managing the workload with him.”
The White Sox jumped ahead 1-0 in the third on Andrew Vaughn’s RBI single
Seattle took a 3-1 lead in the fourth. Polanco tied it 1-all in the fourth with a shot to center. Following two walks, two-out RBI singles by Dylan Moore and Robles put the Mariners ahead.
Raleigh’s 429-foot drive to right center and Polanco’s second homer of the night in the fifth upped it to 5-1.
Polanco added his third RBI in the eighth to make it 6-2.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: Woo exited early due to right hamstring tightness. … RHP Gregory Santos, who tweaked his knee on Wednesday, got the first two outs in the eighth before Chicago loaded the bases and scored its final run on Muñoz’s wild pitch..
White Sox: Recalled RHP Davis Martin from Triple-A Charlotte where he made his final rehab stop since Tommy John surgery in May 2023. Davis pitched 2 2/3 innings on Saturday, yielding a run on three hits. LHP Sammy Peralta was optioned to Charlotte.
UP NEXT
Seattle RHP Bryce Miller (7-7, 3.41) was set to face LHP Garrett Crochet (6-7, 3.07) on Sunday. Crochet, an All-Star and second in the majors with 157 strikeouts, has been the subject of trade rumors as the Tuesday deadline approaches.
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