J-Rod joins Tatis Jr. in elite club; Miller shines in win

SEATTLE -- Bryce Miller was the second-best pitcher of the day on Sunday afternoon at T-Mobile Park, which is saying something given that the Mariners rookie carved through the White Sox and lifted Seattle to a 5-1 win that secured a series victory and a winning homestand.

Miller’s counterpart, however, was on a historic pace in to the Father’s Day matinee. That was Chicago’s Lance Lynn, who tied White Sox franchise record with 16 strikeouts and returned for the eighth inning attempting to secure the highmark all alone.

Lynn’s only hiccup was a two-run string in the third inning, when Cal Raleigh ripped a leadoff single, J.P. Crawford drew a two-out, four-pitch walk and Julio Rodríguez drove them in with a 104.4 mph double to the right-center wall.

Playing in his 200th career game, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year also stole second base in the sixth, joining Fernando Tatis Jr. as the only players to reach 40 homers and 40 stolen bases that quickly to begin a career.

Other than that, the Mariners didn’t have many answers for Lynn, but it proved to be just enough. Then, after Kolten Wong dribbled a drag bunt to end Lynn’s day to open the eighth, the Mariners loaded the bases against reliever Reynaldo López and had Jarred Kelenic clear them with a three-run triple into the left-center gap for the dagger.

“Any time you can put an insurance runs on is huge,” Kelenic said. “We had ducks on the pond, if you call that, and just trying to get them in.”

The club will now embark on a critical road trip to face the Yankees and Orioles, both of whom they’re chasing in the early AL playoff picture and both of whom occupy an AL Wild Card spot.

“A game is a game, it doesn't matter if it's the Yankees, the White Sox, whoever,” Kelenic said. “But at the same time, we're human too. All that stuff creeps in. But I think one thing that our team does really well -- I think our guys in the clubhouse, we treat everything the same.”

Rodríguez and Kelenic had the offense’s high moments on Sunday, but Miller was easily Seattle’s player of the game.

The 24-year-old rebounded in both his starts on this homestand -- both wins, too -- after surrendering a combined 15 earned runs on 19 hits over his previous two. Just as vital was the length Miller provided manager Scott Servais just one day after the club used every bullpen arm except long reliever Chris Flexen in an 11-inning loss that was one of the more sour of the season.

Even with Miller’s lopsided losses to the Yankees and Rangers, the Mariners are now 6-3 behind the rookie, who hasn’t just filled in formidably since taking the rotation spot of Robbie Ray after the veteran underwent season-ending surgery last month -- he’s been a valuable piece.

“I want to go deep in every game, but mentally, just trying to -- my last outing, I had three walks and I was just kind of behind a lot,” Miller said. “And this week, I wanted to attack, get ahead early, first-pitch strikes and the more I do that, the better chance I have to get deep into the game.”

Miller’s biggest obstacle on Sunday was one of the four hits he surrendered, which only dropped due to the line drive ricocheting off his left calf at 107.3 mph. Fortunately, the ball clipped the muscle and not the bone and he was able to continue easily after being examined by Mariners athletic trainer Taylor Bennett.

Because there was no way he was coming out, especially with his parents, Bill and Denise, in the stands visiting from Texas for Father’s Day.

“In typical Bryce Miller fashion, he says, 'I'm OK. I've been doing some calf raises,’” Servais said. “That's what he says to me on the mound.”

The trajectory of the Mariners’ season so far has been step forward followed by a step back, with the tangible showing of their .500 standing (35-35) to attribute as much. Now they head back out on the road, where they’re 14-18 this season.