SEATTLE -- Elvis Andrus is by no means a power hitter, but there’s been something about T-Mobile Park this year that has turned him into an Aaron Judge-like menace against the Mariners.

Andrus had a huge day on both sides of the ball Monday afternoon, as the White Sox held on to beat the Mariners, 3-2, in a dramatic opener to a three-game series between two teams still in the hunt for October.

Andrus’ two-run home run that barely carried over the right-field wall and beyond the grasp of Mitch Haniger’s outstretched glove in the top of the third inning proved to be the difference in the game for Chicago. The club pushed its record back over the .500 mark to 68-67 and climbed to within 1 1/2 games of Cleveland’s lead in the American League Central while sitting 7 1/2 games behind Toronto for the final AL Wild Card spot.

Andrus added a double and made some sparkling plays in the infield, as he continues to do wonders for the White Sox in place of their injured star shortstop, Tim Anderson. Even more wondrous was the fact that Andrus, who has only 90 career homers in a 14-year big league career, has 11 this season … and five of them have come against the Mariners in this stadium.

“I don't know, man,” Andrus said when asked to explain what on earth is going on that has allowed this strange occurrence to take place.

“Lately, I like hitting here for some reason, especially this year. I don't know. I don't know what it is. Probably the batter’s eye being very dark? It’s something that I haven't done in my whole career in Seattle, so I think that it’s kind of making up for my first eight years.”

Andrus, of course, has played many, many games here, having spent the first 12 years of his career with the Mariners’ AL West foes, the Texas Rangers. He hit the first four of his homers at T-Mobile Park this season while with the Oakland A’s. Andrus signed as a free agent with Chicago on Aug. 18, the day after the last-place A’s released him.

“He's a very smart baseball player,” White Sox acting manager Miguel Cairo said. “He plays really good defense, he’s beginning to get really good clutch hits and he’s been a very important piece. I’m glad that we signed him.”

The White Sox also are glad that another veteran, starter Lance Lynn, is back with the club and healthy.

Lynn was dominant for a second consecutive start on Tuesday, pitching seven innings and giving up one unearned run on three hits while striking out a season-high 11 batters. The game had an unusual first-pitch time of 3:40 p.m. PT, so the batter’s box was in the shadows from the get-go. Lynn noticed this and pounced.

“The shadows were ugly early, so that helps the pitchers, for sure,” Lynn said. “I knew that they were going to have trouble seeing the ball, so I just went on attack and it worked out well.”

Lynn’s electric stuff didn’t hurt, either. He touched 96 mph and got 25 swings and misses overall, including 13 on his four-seam fastball. All in all, it was pretty heady stuff for the big right-hander, who didn’t pitch until June 13 of this season because of a torn tendon in his right knee.

Kendall Graveman relieved Lynn in the eighth and got through a scoreless inning with help from Andrus’ glove.

With one out, Jake Lamb worked his way into a 13-pitch at-bat and then ripped a 103 mph grounder to the shifted right side of the infield. Andrus dove to his left to snare the ball, then threw out Lamb for a gem of an out.

The Mariners scored a run in the ninth against closer Liam Hendriks, but Hendriks struck out Adam Frazier with runners on second and third to close out the victory for a White Sox team that suddenly has some September momentum going.

“We're having fun, man,” Andrus said. “Lately, we've been able to just let our talent go out there and compete.

“Everybody's a lot more relaxed. Everybody is just going out there having fun and letting things happen.”