SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit a game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Seattle Mariners stormed back from a four-run deficit in the eighth to beat the Chicago White Sox 8-4 on Monday night, June 10.
Raleigh, also known by a colorful moniker, Big Dumper, launched his walk-off drive against Jordan Leasure (0-2) one inning after the AL West leaders scored four times in the eighth to tie it.
“Big Dumper does what he does,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Late in games, he always has good at-bats and you know he’s going to get the job done for us there.”
Dominic Canzone led off the eighth with a homer against starter Erick Fedde before Michael Kopech gave up three runs and four hits. Mitch Haniger knocked in two with a bases-loaded single, and Luke Raley drove in the tying run with a bunt single.
“It’s a risky play to try to lay down a bunt there,” Raley said. “But I was waiting, looking at the third baseman every time, and he was in the first few pitches and he backed up and kind of gave me that lane. I just decided to take a chance at it.”
J.P. Crawford and Josh Rojas walked with one out in the ninth before Julio Rodríguez’s single loaded the bases. Raleigh drove a 2-0 fastball 383 feet into the right-field seats to send the Seattle crowd home happy.
“You can be 0 for 4 or 4 for 4, it doesn’t matter,” Raleigh said. “When it comes to that moment, you’ve got to kind of slow it down and try to just do whatever it takes to help the team win. So it was a big moment, for sure, and slowing it down definitely helped.”
Ryne Stanek (4-1) struck out three in a scoreless ninth for the win.
Luis Robert Jr. and Corey Julks homered for the major league-worst White Sox (17-50).
Both starters were dominant early, as Fedde allowed three hits over his first five shutout innings, and Mariners starter Logan Gilbert gave up just two hits in the same span.
Korey Lee led off the sixth with a double, and Robert put the White Sox ahead with a two-run homer into the left-field bleachers. Lenyn Sosa made it 3-0 with an RBI single in the seventh, and Julks hit a solo homer in the eighth off reliever Matt Bowman.
Gilbert struck out eight and allowed three runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings. Fedde went seven-plus innings, giving up one run and five hits.
“Fedde threw the ball great,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “Kept these guys off balance all game.”
ROSTER MOVE
The Mariners put INF Dylan Moore on the paternity list and recalled INF Leo Rivas from Triple-A Tacoma.
UP NEXT
Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo (3-0, 1.07 ERA) pitches Tuesday against Cal Poly college teammate Drew Thorpe, who will be making his major league debut for the White Sox.
