SEATTLE — Lance Lynn credited the shadows during an afternoon game at T-Mobile Park.
The Chicago White Sox starter’s pitches were pretty good too.
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Lynn allowed one unearned run and three hits while striking out 11 and walking one in seven innings as the Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 in front of 37,109 on Monday.
“When you have shadows you have to attack because your cutter and sinker are going to work too,” Lynn said. “Anything that moves late. And through the shadows (it) will be tough for them to pick up.”
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AJ Pollock hit a solo home run in the second and Elvis Andrus hit a two-run homer an inning later as the Sox won for the fifth time in six games.
“It’s nice to come to Seattle and at least get the first win the first day,” Sox acting manager Miguel Cairo said. “That team is pretty good. They’ve got good hitters, good pitching and to get the first win is awesome.”
Lynn set the tone.
The 11 strikeouts are a season high and one off his career high, which he has accomplished three times.
“Every start since he came back from the injury (a torn tendon in his right knee during spring training), he’s been getting better and better and better, making his pitches,” Cairo said. “He’s just pitching. He’s our horse in the starting pitchers.”
Lynn retired the final 17 batters he faced.
“Just keep making pitches,” he said of what was clicking during the stretch. “Defense making great plays behind me. Offense scored a couple runs, so I was able to pitch with a lead.”
Pollock gave the Sox a 1-0 lead with his solo homer to left in the second.
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The Mariners tied it on an RBI bloop single by Abraham Toro in the bottom of the second. That was the last batter to reach against Lynn.
Andrus broke the tie with his two-run homer to right.
Mitch Haniger nearly made a leaping catch at the wall, but the ball went off his glove and over the fence. Romy Gonzalez, who was on first, nearly crossed Andrus while starting to run back to the bag. But Andrus made sure Gonzalez stopped and started heading in the right direction
“I hit it too high,” said Andrus, who didn’t think it was a homer off the bat. “For me in my career, for me to go (opposite field for a homer), I need to go more line-drive type of thing.
“I hit it good (and) day games here, the ball flies a little bit better usually. So I was praying while I was running and thank God he did not catch it.”
Andrus made a nice play at shortstop while positioned on the second-base side of the bag on a hard-hit grounder by Jake Lamb in the eighth to complete a 13-pitch at-bat against reliever Kendall Graveman.
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“It was a tremendous at-bat,” Andrus said. “For both sides — Graveman great location and Lamb was making good swings. Really big play in that situation, and that’s what we’re trying to do, make all the plays we can.”
The Mariners, who entered the day with a seven-game winning streak, got within a run on an RBI single by J.P. Crawford against closer Liam Hendriks with two outs in the ninth.
Crawford took second on the throw to the plate, giving the Mariners runners on second and third with two outs. Hendriks rebounded to strike out pinch hitter Adam Frazier on three pitches for his 30th save.
“I knew he got it,” Cairo said of Hendriks. “He got it and we trust him and he’s the man.”
The third-place Sox are back over .500 at 68-67 and trail the Cleveland Guardians by two games and the Minnesota Twins by one in the American League Central.
“Still have a long way to go,” Lynn said. “We’re still trailing, so day in and out have to keep doing what we’re doing and figure out how to win games.”
