Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor showed what they can add to the Seattle Mariners’ offense.
Suarez and Naylor, acquired in separate deals with Arizona before the trade deadline, both hit home runs Tuesday night in the Mariners’ 8-3 victory against the visiting Chicago White Sox.
The three-game series continues Wednesday night in Seattle.
Suarez hit a tiebreaking two-run shot into Edgar’s Cantina between the first and second decks in left field in the fourth inning after Naylor led off by reaching base on an error. Naylor added a two-run blast to right in the seventh inning to cap a streak of eight consecutive runs.
“The pieces we’ve added, having those big bats in the lineup is huge,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “And you see what they did tonight … we’re starting to settle into what our offense can do (with) the different pieces that we have. And that’s something that we want to continue to do consistently throughout.”
But it wasn’t just about the power.
Naylor and Suarez pulled off a double steal in the sixth and both scored on Jorge Polanco’s single.
The Mariners improved to 4-1 on their 10-game homestand and moved past the New York Yankees and into the American League’s second of three wild-card playoff spots.
“Our record right now, it’s good. But we gotta go. We’re going for more,” Suarez said. “We came here to try win the most games we can and help the Mariners win everything this year.”
Dominic Canzone also homered for the Mariners and Bryan Woo allowed one run on two hits over seven innings and matched a career-high with nine strikeouts.
Lenyn Sosa, Luis Robert Jr. and Colson Montgomery homered, the last two back-to-back in the ninth inning, for the White Sox.
Robert’s homer was the 100th of his career.
“It wasn’t as fast as it could have been,” Robert said through a translator, referring to the injuries that have sidetracked him. “But it’s always special to have that mark.”
Despite two straight defeats, the White Sox are still 10-6 since the All-Star break.
“Even in losses, you’re going to learn things,” said White Sox right-hander Davis Martin, who allowed six runs (five earned) over five-plus innings. “I just don’t think there’s a complacency anymore. We think we can come in here and win a series.”
Wednesday’s game is set to feature a pair of right-handers in the White Sox’s Jonathan Cannon (4-8, 4.77 ERA) against the Mariners’ George Kirby (6-5, 4.13).
Cannon lost 6-3 to visiting Philadelphia in his last start July 29, giving up six runs on seven hits over six innings. Cannon is 0-0 with a 1.29 ERA in one career start against Seattle.
Kirby pitched six scoreless innings July 31 in a 6-0 victory against visiting Texas, allowing three hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Kirby is 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in two previous starts against the White Sox.
–Field Level Media
