SEATTLE — Avisail Garcia homered in his first two at-bats and had a career-high six RBI, and the Chicago White Sox battered Seattle’s depleted pitching staff in a 16-1 win over the Mariners on Saturday night.
The White Sox knocked around Seattle starter Yovani Gallardo (2-4) and no one provided more shots than Garcia. He hit a three-run homer in the first inning, added a solo shot in the third and greeted reliever Dillon Overton with a two-run double in the fourth. Garcia was on a tear entering the game, hitting .361 in his previous nine games and finished with 4 for 5, adding another double in the seventh. The four hits were a career high.
Garcia wasn’t alone in pounding Seattle’s pitching staff. Matt Davidson hit a two-run homer, Willy Garcia hit the first home run of his career into the second deck in left field and the 16 runs were the most scored by the White Sox since April 20, 2014, at Texas when they also scored 16.
Every batter in Chicago’s lineup had at least one hit. Melky Cabrera and Todd Frazier both added two-run singles as the White Sox did their damage in bunches, scoring four in the first inning, five in the fourth and five in the seventh.
Lost in the offensive firepower by Chicago was the best performance of the season by starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey, who allowed just one run and four hits in six innings. Pelfrey had pitched into the fifth inning just once since joining the White Sox rotation in late-April, but Seattle’s suddenly silent offense managed little.
Pelfrey (1-4) was helped by a pair of double plays early, and Seattle’s only run came after Carlos Ruiz doubled and scored on Jean Segura’s groundout in the fifth inning. Ruiz was the first batter to reach second base against Pelfrey.
Gallardo is the one remaining member from Seattle’s projected opening day starting rotation that’s not on the disabled list. But Saturday was one of the worst performances of his career. The nine earned runs were the most allowed by Gallardo since the 2009 season when he was pitching with Milwaukee. In five starts at home this season, Gallardo has allowed 21 earned runs in 27 innings pitched.
Gallardo’s ERA for the season climbed from 4.53 to 5.84.
NEW CLOSER?
Seattle utility infielder Mike Freeman pitched the ninth inning. He allowed hits to the first three batters, but just one run on a sacrifice fly.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: Leury Garcia was out of the starting lineup for a second straight game after being hit on the elbow in Thursday’s series opener.
Mariners: 1B Danny Valencia was scratched from the original starting lineup after injuring his hand sliding in Friday’s loss. … 2B Robinson Cano (quad) took batting practice and groundballs on Saturday and remains on track to come off the disabled list for the start of Seattle’s road trip next week in Washington.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Derek Holland (3-3) will make his ninth start and sixth on the road. It will be his 22nd career start vs. Seattle and he’s 12-6 all-time.
Mariners: Seattle has not announced a starter for Sunday and could be looking at a start by the bullpen or calling up a starter from the minors.
