Back-to-back-to-back homers spark Mariners’ 10-0 romp of White Sox

CHICAGO – The good vibes returned to the Seattle Mariners’ clubhouse Friday afternoon, and with them a renewed sense of optimism about this team and about what’s possible this season.

That feeling took further root a few hours later when the Mariners broke out of their offensive malaise during an eight-run first inning – yes, eight runs – that featured successive home runs from Josh Rojas, Dylan Moore and Victor Robles off White Sox rookie Drew Thorpe.

The resulting 10-0 victory Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field pre-empted the arrival of two significant additions – slugging outfielder Randy Arozarena and high-leverage reliever Yimi Garcia – scheduled to reinforce the Mariners’ roster on Saturday.

Oh yes, much had changed in the 48 hours since the Mariners had been swept at home by the lowly Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.

During their day off, Mariners players learned Thursday night that they had landed Arozarena in a deal with Tampa Bay. And as they began their pregame routines at the ballpark Friday afternoon, they learned of a second momentum-shifting deal to acquire Garcia.

“We’re going for it,” said Mariners reliever Trent Thornton, reacting to the Garcia news just minutes after the deal was finalized.

“We’re here to win. We’re here to win the whole damn thing. It’s not just make the playoffs. This is gonna be a team that can take care of business.”

Mariners outfielder Luke Raley, who played alongside Arozarena in Tampa Bay last season, was effusive in his praise of the newest Seattle slugger, and he said as much when Mariners president Jerry Dipoto called him for insight on Arozarena before the trade Thursday.

“He just does some crazy things that you’re like, ‘Wow.’ Randy, he’s just different,” Raley said. “… Until you see it, you don’t fully understand it. He’s just, like, a bright star, but he’s pretty quiet. Keeps his head down and goes about his business and he resonates with fans. He’s just a favorite all across the board. …

“Having someone who can add a spark is what we need right now, and hopefully, he can help us right the ship.”

For one night, anyway, the Mariners didn’t need him.

With Arozarena saying his goodbyes to the Rays – he and Garcia are both scheduled to land in Chicago on Saturday morning and are expected in uniform for the Mariners on Saturday night – the Mariners had a historic spark of their own in the first inning.

They scored all eight of their first-inning runs with two outs, and the back-to-back-to-back blasts from Rojas, Moore and Robles marked the first time three M’s hitters have done that in a row in the first inning.

It was the first time the Mariners have gone back-to-back-to-back in any game since June 21, 2022, at Oakland (Julio Rodriguez, Jesse Winker, Eugenio Suarez).

Thorpe, Chicago’s promising 23-year-old right-hander, made his MLB debut against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park, allowing two runs (one earned) over five effective innings.

He didn’t make it out of the first Friday.

Cal Raleigh’s one-out double got things started, and Jorge Polanco and Mitch Haniger each walked to load the bases.

Jason Vosler, in his second start since being promoted from Triple-A, had a sharp two-out, two-run single to start the scoring.

Mitch Garver followed with a line-drive single to left field to drive in Haniger.

Rojas then turned on an 89-mph fastball and set it out to right field, a three-run blast to make it 6-0. It was his first homer since June 15.

Moore followed with a solo blast to left field, measured at 392 feet. It was his first homer since June 20.

And Robles, batting leadoff and making his fourth start in center field in place of the injured Rodriguez (high-ankle sprain), hit his second homer since joining the Mariners in early June. It was measured at 411 feet and it continued a torrid stretch of late for Robles.

It also ended the night for Thorpe after just two-thirds of an inning.

Thorpe had allowed five runs in his previous five starts. All eight runs he allowed to the Mariners were earned, and his season ERA jumped from 3.03 to 4.81.

Polanco added a two-run homer in the fourth inning off White Sox lefty Jared Shuster, pushing the lead to 10-0.

The Mariners finished with 11 hits, seven for extra bases.

The Mariners countered on the mound with George Kirby, who would’ve needed only minimal support in this one.

Kirby threw seven shutout innings, scattering six hits, with one walk and seven strikeouts.

It was his ninth consecutive quality start, the first Seattle starter to do that since James Paxton also had nine in a row in 2017.

The bounce-back performance came against a White Sox team that, at 27-79, is on pace to finish with one of the worst records in MLB history.

But the Mariners needed some positive momentum, and they got a lot of it over the past two days.