SEATTLE (AP) — Mitch Haniger capped a nine-pitch at-bat with an RBI single to score Luke Raley with the winning run and give the Seattle Mariners a 2-1, 10-inning win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.
Seattle blew a chance to win the game after Luis Robert Jr’s. pinch-hit solo home run leading off the ninth inning tied the game 1-1. Chicago was unable to score in the 10th and Hangier came through with the sixth walk-off hit of his career.
Haniger fell behind in the count 0-2 against Steven Wilson (1-3) but dumped a soft single into right field. Raley, who provided all of Seattle’s offense through the first nine innings with a solo home run, raced around from second.
Seattle won its 16th one-run game, the most in the major leagues, and improved to 10-1 in its last 11 home games.
Robert homered on the first pitch of the ninth inning from Mike Baumann. Robert was getting a scheduled day off from the starting lineup a week after coming off the injured list following a hip injury.
It was Robert’s sixth homer and cost Seattle starter Bryce Miller the chance at a victory.
Miller allowed two hits over seven shutout innings and Austin Voth kept the shutout going striking out the side in the eighth. But Seattle has been without primary closer Andrés Muñoz for most of the past week due to lower back soreness.
Miller struck out eight and needed only 92 pitches to get through seven shutout innings, rebounding after allowing a season-high seven earned runs in his previous start against Kansas City.
Trent Thornton (3-1) stranded automatic runner Danny Mendick at third base in the 10th, finishing the inning with a strikeout of pinch-hitter Andrew Benintendi.
Chicago starter Jonathan Cannon was hit hard at times but matched Miller with zeros until Raley’s homer in the seventh. Cannon made just his fourth start in the majors, and allowed three hits with seven strikeouts.
GOOD NEWS ON WOO
Bryan Woo could rejoin the Seattle Mariners’ rotation sometime next week after an MRI on his right arm came back clean, general manager Justin Hollander said Wednesday.
Woo was scratched ahead of his scheduled start on Tuesday due to discomfort in his right forearm. Woo did not throw his bullpen session this week and “didn’t feel great,” the day before his scheduled start.
Hollander said that with the MRI confirming there’s no major issues, Woo will resume his throwing program with an eye on being reinserted into the Mariners’ rotation sometime next week during their road trip.
“Brian is (a) really unique story. He just doesn’t have the volume that major league pitchers have usually established in their careers,” Hollander said. “So we went and did an MRI to make sure that we weren’t missing anything. But we don’t anticipate a shutdown period.”
Woo has been on a limited pitch count this year because of what manager Scott Servais called “arm stuff” after Woo’s start against the Los Angeles Angels on May 31.
Woo spent the first month of the season on the injured list with elbow inflammation. He returned on May 10 and went 3-0 with a 1.07 ERA in his first six starts. Woo has just 1211/3 innings at the major league level and 1121/3 innings in the minors in his professional
career.
“He just hasn’t been through the things that typical starting pitchers have been through. He didn’t pitch a lot in college. He didn’t pitch a lot in the minor leagues,” Hollander said. “For us, the No. 1 thing is he’s healthy. He’s so good. He’s so unique. We want to make sure he’s healthy. Now that we’ve checked that box, it’s about working … to build a routine that works for him.”
While Woo will likely be back next week, closer
Andrés Muñoz should return sometime this weekend after being slowed by some lower back discomfort. Muñoz has pitched just once since June 4 and had an injection in his back earlier this week in the hope of relieving some of his discomfort.
ROSTER SHUFFLE
Mariners: Seattle optioned LHP Jhonathan Díaz back to Tacoma after he made an emergency start on Tuesday night. RHP Brett de Geus was recalled from the Triple-A team to add depth to the bullpen.
UP NEXT
White Sox: LHP Garrett Crochet (6-5, 3.33) has won five of his past six decisions and has pitched six innings in six of his past seven starts.
Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (5-7, 3.35) will try and rebound after giving up five earned runs over five innings in his last start against Kansas City.
