SEATTLE — The Mariners entered Saturday night in a bind.
They were already down four regular starting pitchers to injury and facing the prospect of a bullpen game in the Sunday series finale. They needed a long outing from veteran Yovani Gallardo. And Gallardo had to deal with Avisail Garcia, whom many call the Luis Robert of his era.
Already off to a shockingly dominant start to his third full, healthy season in a White Sox uniform, Garcia somehow cranked up his All-Star campaign another notch and overshadowed the news of the day: the White Sox’s reported signing of the aforementioned Robert, the 19-year-old Cuban outfielder.