Marco Gonzales tosses gem, Evan White delivers 3-run homer as Mariners top Astros
Evan White let out a scream as he high-fived and chest bumped Kyle Lewis at the end of the Mariners’ dugout Monday night.
White, the rookie first baseman who has flashed his stunning glove all season, but often struggled at the plate, had just delivered the crushing blow against Lance McCullers Jr. and the Astros in the form a three-run homer that forcefully crashed into wall of Edgar’s Cantina at T-Mobile Park.
White struck out against McCullers, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, in his first two at-bats, but he didn’t miss his third chance. McCullers left a curveball over the plate, and White smashed it, tossing his bat out of the way as he rounded the bases, and his teammates went wild as his seventh home run of the season landed beyond the left field fence 381 feet later.
Mariners catcher Luis Torrens was excitedly jumping in front of the dugout. Manager Scott Servais clapped and pumped his fist. White was met with cheers, high-fives and fist bumps after he crossed the plate, and the emotion poured out when he met his good friend, Lewis, the American League Rookie of the Year hopeful who had scored the game’s decisive run moments earlier, at the end of the congratulatory line of players.
This is the meaningful, exciting September baseball these young Mariners are hoping to carry past the end of the regular season this week, and the reaction to White’s three-run homer showed it.
Seattle went on to win, 6-1, in the first game of this three-game series against the Astros, in which they likely need a sweep of their American League West rivals to keep their postseason hopes alive.
“It was just a really exciting moment for me,” White said during a postgame video call. “For the whole team, really. We’re in a tough spot where we’ve got to win ballgames right now, and that’s exactly what we did tonight, so kind of the emotions of that. Facing McCullers, I think this is the third outing he’s thrown against us, and I literally don’t think I have put the ball in play against him until that. I think I walked, got hit by a pitch and struck out a whole lot of times. So to be able to do that, especially with a two-strike count, is pretty exciting, and one of the most exciting times I’ve had recently individually.”
The Mariners (24-30) made it clear Monday night they aren’t finished fighting despite dropping four of five during their unexpected road trip to California last week. With the win, they are now three games back of the Astros for second place in the AL West with six games to play.
“We’ve got an interesting week ahead of us here,” Servais said. “Super valuable experience for all of our guys. I’m glad we’re playing Houston. I’m glad we’re playing Oakland. Because we’re going to play them a lot here in the next couple years. Having meaningful games at the end of the year is all we could have hoped for, and they’re certainly meaningful. Our guys are ready to go.”
As it often does, the path to a Mariners win started with their stabilizer. Ace Marco Gonzales was brilliant again, completing eight scoreless innings allowing seven hits, a walk and striking out six on 98 pitches. He won his fifth consecutive start, pushing his season record to 7-2 and lowering his ERA to 3.06. It was also his first career win against Houston in eight starts.
“I just went out and attacked them, put them on their heels, and when you do that to anybody I think it takes the wind out of their sails,” Gonzales said. “I just came in to win today. That’s it.”
Despite working around base runners in five of his eight innings, Gonzales effectively kept the Astros off the board, allowing his own offense to finally get to McCullers late.
“I’m competing with him,” Gonzales said of McCullers. “I’m competing with his tempo, and we were getting each other back out on the mound quick. We were really rolling through some innings, so I feel like I had some good momentum going into each one. To be honest, he really kind of fueled my momentum. He really set the bar and when you do that to me, you’re going to turn on some competitive energy that’s kind of been harbored a little bit, so I found another gear after the fifth, I think, and really just started attacking people.”
Tim Lopes finally broke up McCullers’ no-hitter bid with one out in the sixth when he roped a double to the wall in center. Lewis, who drew his first of three walks in the first, was the only Mariners base runner to that point, with McCullers retiring 16 of his first 17.
Lopes has a team-leading 12 doubles this season, and is 8-for-22 with five doubles in his eight games since rejoining the Mariners as the 29th man for their doubleheader against the A’s last week.
The Mariners finally got on the board in the seventh. Lewis drew his second walk of the game to open the inning, and Kyle Seager reached on a bobbled grounder by Jose Altuve. Ty France then doubled, just fair, down the left field line to push across Lewis for the game’s first run.
But, the Mariners weren’t done yet. After McCullers struck out Jose Marmolejos and Torrens, White launched his three-run blast.
“A lot of energy,” Gonzales said. “A lot of good momentum in that swing right there. It’s just good to see him really come through for us in a big situation and he was fired up. It was great to see.”
McCullers’ night ended there, having allowed four runs on three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in 6 2/3. None of the four runs he gave up were earned.
Seattle tacked on two more in the eighth off Brandon Bielak. J.P. Crawford dove into first base to scratch out a single, Dylan Moore took his base after a scary moment — he was hit in the helmet by a pitch for the second time in less than a week, but remained in the game — and Lewis drew another walk.
Seager then ripped a long fly ball to left that Michael Brantley mishandled in the corner, driving in a pair of runs to make it 6-0. Seager collected his 700th and 701st career RBI with the hit.
The Astros scored their only run of the game on a RBI single by Josh Reddick with two outs in the ninth off rookie reliever Joey Gerber.
This story was originally published September 21, 2020 at 8:53 PM.
