SEATTLE — Lance Lynn tore through Seattle striking out a season-high 11, Elvis Andrus hit a two-run homer and the Chicago White Sox snapped the Mariners’ seven-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory. on Monday.
Lynn retired the last 17 batters he faced in a dominant outing against a Seattle lineup that seemed sleepy after a long Sunday in Cleveland and an early-morning arrival in the Pacific Northwest.
The victory kept the White Sox hot on the heels of Minnesota and Cleveland in a suddenly tight race for the AL Central, while Seattle lost ground to Toronto and Tampa Bay in the race for the top wild-card spot in the AL Central. American League.
Lynn (5-5) didn’t allow a baserunner after Abraham Toro’s RBI single in the second inning that right fielder Andrew Vaughn appeared to miss briefly in the sun. The 11 strikeouts were one of the highest of his career, and he allowed just three hits.
Seattle’s only run was unearned on a passed ball, and Lynn has allowed three earned runs total in his last four starts.
The consecutive streak of retired hitters reached 19 until Julio Rodriguez singled off Kendall Graveman with two outs in the eighth. Liam Hendriks allowed two singles and a walk in the ninth, including JP Crawford’s two-out single to score Mitch Haniger. But Hendriks struck out pinch hitter Adam Frazier to end his 30th save.
Andrus’ homer was one of two misses in a solid outing by Seattle starter Marco Gonzales. And it was almost an out instead of a home run.
Haniger made a jumper attempt and had the ball in his glove, but lost it when he made contact with the padded wall. It was Andrus’ 11th homer of the season and fifth against Seattle after hitting four earlier in the year with Oakland.
AJ Pollock also hit a solo homer for the White Sox, but otherwise the Mariners got the start they needed from Gonzales after using all the arms of the bullpen in Cleveland on Sunday.
Gonzales (10-13) pitched seven innings for the second time since late June, allowing four hits and striking out three.
LIST MOVEMENTS
The White Sox activated 3B Yoán Moncada from the 10-day disabled list and reinstated LHP Aaron Bummer from the 60-day disabled list. Moncada had been out with a left hamstring strain. He was hitting .197 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs in 80 games before the injury. Moncada is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday.
Bummer has been out since early June with a strained left back. He appeared in three rehab games with Triple-A Charlotte before being reinstated. He was 0-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 20 games with Chicago before the injury.
The White Sox sent OF’s Adam Haseley and Mark Payton to Charlotte and sent RHP Tobias Myers directly to Charlotte to clear roster spots.
COACHES ROOM
White Sox: Chicago’s starting pitcher for Wednesday is still listed as TBD, but interim GM Miguel Cairo said there’s a possibility it could be right-hander Michael Kopech. Kopech has been out since Aug. 23 with a left knee strain.
Mariners: IF/OF Dylan Moore was expected to pick up some extra activity in his return from an oblique strain. Moore was expected to do some rotation exercises in the pool on Monday, but he still has a couple of weeks to go before a possible comeback.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
White Sox: RHP Johnny Cueto (7-6, 2.93) has won three of his last four decisions. Cueto pitched 5 1/3 innings allowing six hits and one run in his final start against Kansas City.
Mariners: RHP Logan Gilbert (11-5, 3.35) pitched six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out nine in his last start against Detroit. Gilbert got his first win since July 3 at the start.
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