What a night at Guaranteed Rate Field! The Seattle Mariners put on an absolute offensive clinic, outslugging the Chicago White Sox 12-8 in a game that had everything—monster home runs, historic milestones, and a career-defining performance from Luke Raley.
Raley was the undeniable star of the show, driving in a career-high seven runs with his first career grand slam and a three-run homer. The slugger became the first Seattle player to hit both a grand slam and a three-run homer in the same game since Nelson Cruz did it back in 2016. His grand slam in the third inning—a no-doubter on an 0-2 pitch from Sean Burke—gave the Mariners a 5-1 lead, and his seventh-inning blast off Tyler Davis extended the advantage to 9-5.
But the fireworks didn't stop there. Julio Rodríguez put Seattle ahead for good with a leadoff homer in the fifth, his sixth of the season. Josh Naylor added a three-run shot in the eighth, his fifth homer of the year, to cap off the scoring. Naylor and Randy Arozarena each collected three hits in Seattle's highest-scoring game of the season.
On the other side, White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami made history. His first-inning solo shot off Emerson Hancock made him the first player in major league history to homer in the first game of eight straight series. The blast was his 15th of the season, tying Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for the major league lead. The previous record of seven straight series belonged to Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, set back in 1987.
The White Sox fought back, with Colson Montgomery delivering a three-run double in a four-run third inning that tied the game at 5-5. But Seattle's bullpen held firm, and the offense kept rolling. Jarred Kelenic and Tristan Peters added RBIs in the eighth, and pinch-hitter Randal Grichuk homered in the ninth, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Mariners' onslaught.
For Seattle, it was a much-needed offensive explosion. Brendan Donovan made his return from the injured list, going 1-for-5 in his first game since April 17. Meanwhile, catcher Cal Raleigh is mired in a 0-for-25 slump dating back to April 27—a tough stretch for the backstop.
The Mariners will look to keep the bats hot as they continue the series, while the White Sox hope to bounce back and slow down a Seattle lineup that's suddenly firing on all cylinders.