Mariners 7, White Sox 6
CHICAGO -- The Seattle Mariners scored three runs in the first inning, built a five-run lead and then needed to hold on late to beat the Chicago White Sox 7-6 on Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Field.
Along with the first-inning rally, the Mariners added runs in the third, fourth and eighth to lead 7-2 going into the bottom of the eighth. The White Sox then pulled within a run by scoring four runs on four hits and two walks, with all four runs charged to right-handed reliever Logan Kensing.
Seattle brought in closer Tom Wilhelmsen with two outs in the eighth and he preserved the lead, eventually getting Chicago left fielder Melky Cabrera to ground out with runners at first and third.
Wilhelmsen also pitched the ninth for his sixth save of the season, giving Seattle its fifth win in seven games.
Right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma (6-3) started for the Mariners and was credited with the win after allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings. Right-hander Jeff Samardzija (8-11) started for Chicago and took the loss, allowing five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.
The game lasted four hours and 16 minutes and didn't have a single delay despite rain falling most of the night.
It was Samardzija's sixth straight loss since White Sox general manager Rick Hahn decided not to trade him before the July 31 non-waivers trade deadline.
Kyle Seager, Robinson Cano, Seth Smith and Ketel Marte led the Mariners offense. Seager went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer that pushed his season total to 20. Cano went 4-for-4 and scored a run, Smith went 1-for-4 with two RBIs and Marte was 1-for-4 with two RBIs before leaving with a hamstring strain.
Tyler Saldino went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in the eighth and Avisail Garcia went 3-for-5 to lead the White Sox, who also got RBI singles by Jose Abreu, Adam LaRoche and Tyler Flowers.
Chicago fell to 2-4 on its seven-game homestand and has lost five of the past seven games.
Seattle wasted no time attacking Samardzija, who had lost five straight starts coming into the game and had a 9.00 ERA in those outings.
The Mariners scored three runs in the first and tacked on runs in the third and fourth to build a 5-0 lead for Iwakuma, who escaped the third with no damage after loading the bases with two outs.
Seager's homer highlighted the Mariners' rally in the first. It was his third home run in his past three games and made it 2-0 after Marte led off the game with a single to right field. Smith made it 3-0 in the first with a sacrifice fly.
Back-to-back doubles by Cano and Smith plated a run in the third to make it 4-0 and a leadoff double by Brad Miller in the fourth led to a run that gave the Mariners a five-run lead.
Chicago got one back in the bottom of the fourth on three straight singles to start the inning, but the White Sox left the bases loaded against Iwakuma for the second straight inning.
NOTES: Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said RHP Felix Hernandez will have his turn in the starting rotation skipped Monday to "freshen him up," for the September stretch run. McClendon said RHP Taijuan Walker will also get skipped in the rotation at some point for the same reason. ... LHP James Paxton (strained left middle finger) made a rehab start at Triple-A Tacoma on Friday. McClendon said Paxton's fastball was clocked in the mid-90s, but his breaking pitches weren't sharp. ... Seattle RHP Joe Beimel (shoulder inflammation) was scheduled to throw an inning of relief Saturday at Triple-A Tacoma and make one more relief appearance Sept. 2 before coming off the 15-day disabled list. The White Sox placed RHP Zach Putnam on the 15-day DL with a right groin strain. ... Chicago reinstated RHP Daniel Webb from the DL after a right upper back strain.