Pereda, Arozarena Homer to Lift Mariners Past White Sox 5‑4

SEATTLE (Interstat) — Randy Arozarena’s two-run homer in the seventh inning lifted the Seattle Mariners to a 5-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday evening at T-Mobile Park, snapping a two-game losing streak and evening the four-game series at a game apiece.

The Mariners, now 24-27, trailed 2-1 after five innings before scoring three times in the seventh to take the lead for good. The White Sox, who fell to 25-24, had won the series opener 2-1 on Tuesday and came into the game with momentum after taking two of three from the Kansas City Royals last weekend.

Seattle starter Emerson Hancock worked five innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits while striking out four. He left with the score tied 2-2 after the top of the fifth, but the Mariners’ bullpen kept the game close before the decisive rally. Hancock has posted a 3.86 ERA over his last two starts after a rough outing against the White Sox in Chicago on May 8.

Chicago starter Sean Burke matched Hancock for much of the game, allowing two earned runs on four hits over 4 2/3 innings with five strikeouts. He was lifted after walking Jhonny Pereda in the fifth, having thrown 87 pitches.

The White Sox struck first in the third inning. Sam Antonacci led off with a single off Hancock, moved to second on a flyout and scored on Andrew Benintendi’s single to center field. Chicago made it 2-0 in the fifth when Luisangel Acuña singled, stole second and scored on Munetaka Murakami’s single to right. Antonacci also singled in the inning, extending the lead to 2-0.

Seattle answered in the bottom of the second. After Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch, Dominic Canzone doubled to right field, driving in Arozarena to cut the deficit to 1-0. The Mariners tied the game in the fourth when Patrick Wisdom doubled to left, scoring Arozarena again.

The score remained 2-2 until the bottom of the seventh, when the Mariners broke through against Chicago reliever Sean Newcomb. Pereda led off with a solo home run to left field, his first of the season, giving Seattle a 3-2 lead. After Cole Young flied out, Julio Rodríguez doubled to left, and Josh Naylor grounded out to first, moving Rodríguez to third. Arozarena then crushed a 1-0 pitch from Newcomb to left-center field for his fifth homer of the year, scoring Rodríguez and stretching the margin to 5-2.

Newcomb, who signed with the White Sox in the offseason, took the loss in his first appearance of the season. He allowed three runs on two hits in one inning, striking out none and walking one. His record fell to 0-1.

Chicago did not go quietly. In the top of the eighth, Chase Meidroth singled off Mariners reliever Cooper Criswell, and Jarred Kelenic followed with a single to center. Tristan Peters then reached on a fielder’s choice that drove in Meidroth, cutting the lead to 5-3. A throwing error by shortstop Colt Emerson allowed Kelenic to score on the play, but Miguel Vargas walked and Edgar Quero struck out to end the threat.

In the ninth, the White Sox mounted one final rally against Mariners closer José A. Ferrer. Randal Grichuk, pinch-hitting for Antonacci, led off with a solo home run to right field, his fourth of the year, making it 5-4. Ferrer then struck out Murakami on a called third strike, fanned Derek Hill swinging and struck out Colson Montgomery swinging to earn his third save of the season. Ferrer threw one inning, allowing one earned run on one hit while striking out three.

The game featured several notable individual performances. For Seattle, Arozarena went 1 for 2 with a home run, two RBIs and a walk. Pereda was 1 for 2 with a solo homer and a walk. Wisdom doubled and drove in a run. Rodríguez doubled and scored a run. For Chicago, Grichuk homered in his only at-bat. Benintendi had two hits and an RBI. Antonacci had two hits and scored twice. Murakami had two hits and an RBI.

On the mound, Seattle’s Matt Brash earned the win with a scoreless seventh inning, allowing one hit and striking out two. Brash improved to 3-0 on the season. Ferrer notched the save. For Chicago, Brandon Eisert pitched a scoreless eighth inning, allowing no hits and striking out one.

The game lasted 2 hours, 43 minutes before an announced crowd of 24,492.

The White Sox had won the previous night’s matchup 2-1, but the Mariners rebounded after dropping the series opener. Seattle had lost four of its last five games before Wednesday. Chicago had won four of its previous five.

The two teams conclude the four-game series Thursday afternoon before heading to different destinations. The White Sox travel to San Francisco for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday against the Giants. The Mariners head to Kansas City for a three-game set against the Royals starting Friday.

In the head-to-head season series, the teams have now split four games. Seattle won 6-1 on Monday, Chicago won 2-1 on Tuesday, and the White Sox had taken two of three in Chicago earlier in May.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Chicago White Sox 6, Seattle Mariners 3. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Seattle with a 64.70 percent probability to win. Seattle had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 9 went under the over/under line of 7.5.