Streaky Mariners heating up while White Sox remain remain ice cold

In the span of a week, the Seattle Mariners have experienced their lowest and highest points of the season.

But it appears they’re back on the upswing entering a three-game series starting Monday against the White Sox in Chicago.

Last week, the American League West-leading Mariners lost five of six games at home against Toronto and the New York Yankees, snapping their streak of winning nine consecutive series.

Plus, Bryce Miller (right elbow inflammation) became their third starting pitcher on the injured list, joining Opening Day starter Logan Gilbert (elbow) and George Kirby (shoulder).

With a 10-game road trip on the horizon, there was a sense of doom among Mariners fans. It brought to mind last season, when the club entered the summer with a double-digit division lead only to blow it in about a month and miss the playoffs by a single game.

But a funny thing happened this past weekend in San Diego. The Mariners swept the powerful Padres, outscoring them 15-3 in the three games.

“These guys know who they are,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “There wasn’t any panic (last week). They knew they were just going to go out and execute.”

Seattle right-hander Bryan Woo allowed a leadoff homer to Fernando Tatis Jr. on Sunday, but that was the only run he gave up over seven innings of a 6-1 victory.

That came after strong starts by right-handers Emerson Hancock and Logan Evans, who have been filling in for Kirby and Gilbert.

“You’ve got to create, like, storylines in your head, finding new motivation and reasons to create an edge when you’re going out there,” Woo said. “Before the game, obviously, we won the first two, and you can choose to be like, ‘All right, we won two,’ and you’re happy with that. Or you can create something in your head where it’s like, ‘Oh, screw it. We’re gonna go take the third game.’

“Emerson and Logan going out and doing what they did and the bullpen being unbelievable these last couple of games, yeah, I just wanted to piggyback off what they’ve been doing,” Woo continued. “I think everyone’s taking pride and showing like, hey, no matter who’s going out there, it’s next guy up and go do your job. I’m really proud of the staff and the bullpen.”

The White Sox have lost four in a row, including a three-game sweep by the cross-city rival Cubs over the weekend at Wrigley Field in which they were outscored 26-8.

Tempers flared in the White Sox’s 6-2 loss Sunday after third baseman Miguel Vargas, who homered earlier, was hit by a pitch from the Cubs’ Brad Keller in the eighth inning.

Vargas stared down Keller and the two exchanged words at the end of the inning.

“I just wanted to know what was his favorite restaurant,” Vargas said after the game. “I asked him about it.”

White Sox manager Will Venable said, “It was just some miscommunication.”

“No one likes to get hit by 98 miles an hour or whatever,” Venable said. “Whatever happened, happened.”

Monday’s series opener at Rate Field is scheduled to feature a pair of right-handers in Seattle’s Luis Castillo (3-3, 3.65 ERA) against the White Sox’s Davis Martin (2-4, 3.65).

–Field Level Media