SEATTLE — Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet described his approach Thursday as playing the “see-if-you-can-hit-it game.” For most of the evening, the Seattle Mariners couldn’t touch his pitches. Crochet allowed one run on two hits while establishing a career high with 13 strikeouts in seven innings.
He left with a one-run lead, only for the Mariners to tie the score on a one-out homer in the ninth by Julio Rodríguez off reliever Michael Kopech. The Sox rebounded with a run in the 10th and held on for a 3-2 victory in front of 25,567 at T-Mobile Park. Korey Lee scored when Andrew Vaughn grounded out to third in the 10th to put the Sox ahead.
Tanner Banks struck out two of the three batters he faced in the bottom of the 10th for his second save as the Sox salvaged the finale of the four-game series. Four Sox pitchers combined for 19 strikeouts, led by Crochet. “It’s funny that (the career high) came on the fastball-dominant game,” Crochet said, “but just out there throwing everything with conviction and let the results kind of speak for themselves.
” He was in top form. “Another beautiful day with Garrett Crochet on the mound,” said Lee, the catcher. “Overpowering stuff.
” Crochet threw 71 fastballs among his 102 pitches, . He threw 30 cutters and one changeup. “I was getting a lot of bad swings from the fastball and cutter, so I felt like that pair was working well together,” he said.
White Sox catcher Korey Lee, left, and reliever Tanner .