Sometimes, even the manager needs to take one for the team.
When Seattle’s Cal Raleigh struck out on a called third strike with the bases loaded in the eighth inning Monday, he turned and started jawing with plate umpire Chris Guccione.
Mariners manager Scott Servais darted out of the dugout to get between Raleigh and Guccione and was ejected for his efforts.
The move paid off an inning later when Raleigh got another chance with the bases loaded, hitting a walk-off grand slam to give the Mariners an 8-4 victory against the visiting Chicago White Sox.
The four-game series continues Tuesday night in Seattle.
“I got tossed because I can’t hit slams and (Raleigh) can,” Servais joked after the game.
Dominic Canzone also homered for Seattle, sparking a four-run, game-tying rally in the eighth after the Mariners were blanked for seven innings by Erick Fedde. A two-run single by Mitch Haniger off Michael Kopech pulled the Mariners within a run, and Luke Raley tied it with a bunt single.
That set the stage for the ninth. J.P. Crawford and Josh Rojas drew one-out walks off Jordan Leasure before Julio Rodriguez lined a single to left to load the bases. Raleigh hit a 2-0 fastball deep to right for his team-leading 12th homer of the season.
“I don’t think the dugout ever really gets deflated,” Raley said. “We know how the game works. You play 27 outs and they have to get ’em all. … We never gave up.”
Luis Robert Jr. and Corey Julks homered for the White Sox, who fell to 5-27 on the road. They have lost seven straight away games since a May 21 win at Toronto.
The White Sox announced over the weekend they planned to call up one of their top prospects, right-hander Drew Thorpe, to make his major league debut on Tuesday.
Thorpe, acquired March 13 from San Diego in the four-player deal for Dylan Cease, was 7-1 with a 1.35 ERA at Double-A Birmingham.
“I’ve seen his last couple outings. I always watch these guys on video here,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said of Thorpe. “He’s a strike-thrower, he’s a competitor. “He’s got a plus-plus-plus changeup. He knows how to pitch, he’s calm and has a really good demeanor. Looking forward to seeing him pitch at this level because he looks like a big-leaguer.”
Thorpe, 23, will be the third White Sox player promoted straight from Double-A this season.
“Calling guys up from Double-A, as opposed to Triple-A, is not that big of a deal,” Grifol said. “We have a clear understanding and knowledge of the major leagues. There’s boxes you have to be able to check to be able to get called up here, and (Thorpe) checks those boxes.”
Thorpe will go up against a familiar face in Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo (3-0, 1.07 ERA). The two were teammates at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
“Drew’s been a good friend of mine,” said Woo, who is 0-0 with a 2.79 ERA in two career starts against the White Sox. “Before we got to Cal Poly, we played summer ball together going into freshman year. We were friends throughout (college) and I think we’ve actually gotten closer over the last couple of years, just talking over pro ball and development and stuff.”
–Field Level Media
