Teoscar Hernandez hit a run-scoring double and a solo homer as the Seattle Mariners rallied to defeat the visiting Chicago White Sox 3-2 in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.
Ty France added an RBI single for the Mariners, who won for the third time in their past four games.
Gavin Sheets and Andrew Benintendi homered for the White Sox, who have lost five of six.
Mariners reliever Matt Brash (4-3) earned the victory, and Paul Sewald pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning with two strikeouts for his 13th save.
With the score tied at 2-2, Hernandez led off the bottom of the seventh by launching a fastball from White Sox reliever Tanner Banks (0-1) over the fence in straightaway center field. After a slow start this season, his first with the Mariners since being acquired from Toronto, Hernandez is batting .364 in June with three homers and 10 RBIs in 12 games.
Mariners rookie right-hander Bryan Woo, making just his third major league start, allowed two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out nine.
Woo retired the first nine batters he faced before Tim Anderson led off the fourth with an infield single.
With one out in the top of the fifth, Sheets broke a scoreless tie by lining a sinker just over the fence in right-center field.
The Mariners tied the score in the bottom of the inning as Julio Rodriguez led off with a double to left and, an out later, Hernandez also doubled to left.
Benintendi went deep with two outs in the top of the sixth, hitting a fastball just over the wall in right-center. It was Benintendi’s first home run of the season.
The Mariners again responded in the bottom of the inning as J.P. Crawford hit a one-out double to right. After Rodriguez popped out to first base, France grounded an RBI single to left to make it 2-2.
White Sox starter Michael Kopech got into and out of trouble throughout his 4 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and six walks. The right-hander allowed only one run, however.
–Field Level Media
