Evan White collects career-high 6 RBI as Mariners rout Rangers
Mariners manager Scott Servais was hoping his rookie first baseman could pick up where he left in Los Angeles.
Evan White’s bat was coming around in California, and he hit a pair of homers in a game against the Dodgers last week.
Then, the first night back in Seattle to begin this short homestand, White fouled a pitch off his left knee, fell to the ground, and had to be helped down the dugout stairs as he left the game mid-plate appearance.
White missed two games tending to the sore knee, but when he returned the lineup Saturday night, he fulfilled his manager’s hope — and more — by turning in the best offensive performance of his young career.
White collected a career-high six RBI — and is the first player in club history to reach such a feat within his first 30 career games — including knocking an early two-run double and later a three-run blast to Edgar’s Cantina in left as the Mariners, for the second consecutive night, jumped on the Rangers early on the way to an 10-1 win.
“Evan’s made a few adjustments,” Servais said during his postgame video call. “It really started on the last road trip, a couple different things that have worked for him. He’s staying with it. … It’s really nice to start seeing him getting some results.
“All of the work and a little bit of the struggle that he went through early on, he’s getting on the other side of it now and starting to see all of the talent come out at the plate.”
The career night was definitely a confidence boost for White, who has started to find his footing at the plate after a slow start to his first season.
“Feeling confident and comfortable, and trying to keep that same mentality each and every at-bat,” he said.
It marked the third time this season Seattle (10-19) has won two straight games, and also locked up the club’s second series win of the year with a game left to play against Texas Sunday afternoon.
The offense, again, stole the show hanging 15 hits — matching their season-high, which was also against Texas during their last trip to Arlington — on the Rangers and scoring in bunches.
“Guys were locked in and getting deep in counts, getting big hits, using the whole field to hit, so a lot of really good things offensively,” Servais said. “We need to continue to have a few of those nights. It really helps the confidence of young guys. We’re learning and we’re growing, and it’s fun when guys go out and play like this.”
Rookie Sam Haggerty, who was called up from the alternate site in Tacoma ahead of this homestand, got the Mariners going with a one-out single in the first, and has hit safely in each of the four games he’s played with Seattle. Naturally, Kyle Lewis followed up with one of his three hits for the night. A Kyle Seager sac fly gave the Mariners a lead they never lost. And then White ripped his double down the left field line to push across two more runs and make it 3-0.
Lewis, who finished 3-for-3 with a double, two singles and two walks, started a string of five consecutive Mariners hits in the third with a single. He also now has an American League-leading 38 hits.
Seager singled behind him, and Nola picked up a RBI on a base hit. White then tagged a fastball from Rangers starter Jordan Lyles, who allowed eight runs in his four innings, to give the Mariners a 7-1 lead. Jake Fraley, who was promoted earlier in the day, then checked in with a double for his first hit of the season, and scored one more run in the inning on a Tim Lopes groundout.
Shed Long Jr. chipped in another run in the seventh on a ground rule double that scored Nola, who finished 3-for-4 in the game. White drove in Seattle’s final run in the eighth on a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded.
It was such a dominant offensive night, another solid start from rookie left-hander Justus Sheffield could almost get lost. He was plenty comfortable working with the early three-run cushion his hitters gave him, and worked efficiently through six innings, giving up a single run on six hits while walking one and striking out five on 85 pitches.
“I’m really just trying to do my job, get my guys back in the dugout (to) put up runs like we did tonight,” he said. “I know that we’re going to put up runs. We have a good offensive team, good team to run, steal bags and cause trouble on the bases, so any time I can get back in the dugout as quick as possible and let those guys work, that’s my main goal.”
The only run the Rangers scored came in the third. Sheffield worked ahead in the count, but hit Rob Refsnyder with a wayward slider to lead off the frame. Refsnyder ultimately scored on a deep fly ball from Danny Santana, but it mattered little.
Sheffield regrouped, ending the inning with another fly out the next at-bat, worked out of traffic in the fourth by striking out the side, and coolly pitched out of another mini jam in his final inning in the sixth.
“Another outstanding effort by Sheffield tonight,” Servais said. “Great to see. He’s on a really nice roll. ... Maybe not quite as sharp with the stuff tonight, but he executed pitches and got ahead the count for the most part. I think it was 19 out of (26) first-pitch strikes. He was winning the 1-1 counts. So important for our young guys to do that, so really happy with the way he threw the ball.”
“That’s the name of the game,” Sheffield said. “Stay ahead in the count. Get ahead, stay ahead. I feel like my last couple outings I’ve been able to do that, and I’ve been able to do that in the past. It’s just continuing to work on that during those five days in between and making sure that I’m attacking and getting ahead in the count.”
Sheffield has now allowed just two earned runs across 18 innings in his past three starts with 16 strikeouts to two walks. His ERA over that stretch is 1.00, while his season ERA has dropped to 3.51.
Rookies Joey Gerber and Aaron Fletcher, who was making his major league debut, each pitched scoreless innings in relief. Fletcher also picked up his first career strikeout against Joey Gallo.
Making his first Mariners appearance after a long build up the past month, veteran reliever Yoshihisa Hirano struck out two in a scoreless ninth.
This story was originally published August 22, 2020 at 9:01 PM.
