I always wince when the annual Mariners/White Sox series in Chicago rolls around. Whether it comes in the form of a true gutpunch loss or a run-of-the-mill beatdown, Guaranteed Rate Field has long held a reputation of bringing Mariner sadness, and last night’s resounding loss was no exception. With the gauntlet of Cleveland looming, getting at the very least one win in this house of horrors was absolutely imperative.
Fortunately, Marco Gonzales stepped up to the challenge, pitching arguably his best start as a Mariner. While the White Sox came right out of the gate with base hits to left from Tim Anderson and Yólmer Sanchez, some truly hilarious baserunning gifted Gonzales an out: