Julio Rodriguez takes day off; Mariners score season-high 14 runs in rout of White Sox

CHICAGO – On a night when they needed their ace to work at least seven innings to provide relief and rest for an overworked bullpen, Luis Castillo did that and more, turning in one of his most dominant outings of the season.

In a game in which their best offensive player, who was named the American League player of the week hours before first pitch, was out of the lineup for a day of rest, the Mariners offense set the tone immediately, turning the first inning into an exhibition of grinding out at-bats and tormenting a starting pitcher, which resulted in 42 pitches thrown, four walks drawn, two big hits and five runs scored.

The early outburst Monday allowed Castillo to pitch with a comfortable lead that only seemed to grow with each passing inning.

It’s a rare occasion in baseball when a team’s needs are matched with the proper intent and yield the desired results. The assortment of variables in a game don’t allow for it to happen often.

But in this current stretch of baseball for the Mariners, they are removing possibility with production and execution.

The Mariners’ 14-2 pasting of a listless White Sox team was their seventh victory in a row and perhaps their most complete victory during that stretch and perhaps in all of August.

Seattle improved to 70-55 on the season and increased its lead for the third American League wild card to one game over the Blue Jays, who didn’t play. The Mariners also kept pace with the Astros in the wild-card and AL West standings.

With Julio Rodriguez out of the lineup, the Mariners, led by catcher Cal Raleigh, who went 3 for 4 with a pair of homers and six runs batted in, posted a season high in runs while pounding out 15 hits. Teoscar Hernandez and Dominic Canzone also hit home runs, while Josh Rojas added three hits.

Before Castillo had even thrown a pitch, the Mariners provided a 5-0 lead off White Sox starter Touki Toussaint in a top of the first inning that took almost 20 minutes.

Returning from the concussion injured list and back at the top of the order, J.P. Crawford led off the game with a walk on six pitches, refusing to chase a pair of pitches below the zone.

Eugenio Suarez followed with a walk and Ty France singled to load the bases.

Crawford raced home on a wild pitch with Raleigh at the plate. Suarez and France scored moments later when Raleigh hit a line drive off the top of the fence in right field for a double.

After retiring Hernandez and Canzone, Toussaint walked Cade Marlowe and Mike Ford to reload the bases. Josh Rojas singled to right field to score a pair of runs. When Crawford made the final out of the inning, Toussaint walked off the mound to scattered boos.

Seattle simply wouldn’t give an at-bat away in that inning.

Castillo’s only run allowed came in the first inning. He allowed a leadoff double to Elvis Andrus and a two-out double to Eloy Jimenez. But he calmly got Yoan Moncada to fly out to center to end the inning, starting a string of 15 straight White Sox retired in order.

As has been the case in recent starts, Castillo got stronger as the game went on. His fastball velocity increased and the movement on his pitches became noticeable. In the seventh, he allowed a pair of singles, but closed out the frame scoreless.

His final line: seven innings, one run allowed on four hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.

After the marathon first inning, Toussaint was able to hold Seattle scoreless in the second, third and fourth. He started the fifth but didn’t record an out. Raleigh led off with a laser into the right-field seats and Hernandez followed with a deep drive over the wall in left-center. The back-to-back homers made it 7-1 and ended Toussaint’s outing.

Seattle poured it on against the White Sox bullpen. Hernandez had a two-run single in the sixth inning. Raleigh hit his 24th homer of the season in a four-run eighth inning that also included Canzone’s third homer of the season.