BASEBALL: Miguel Vargas, White Sox power way past Mariners

Miguel Vargas homered twice and Colson Montgomery also went deep to back five strong innings from Anthony Kay and boost the Chicago White Sox to a 6-1 victory against the visiting Seattle Mariners on Saturday.

Chicago stopped a three-game losing streak behind its second straight multi-homer game. Relievers Grant Taylor, Bryan Hudson and Tyler Schweitzer combined on four shutout innings to finish a combined four-hitter.

Montgomery started the latest White Sox power display early, reaching Seattle starting pitcher Luis Castillo for a two-run blast with two outs in the first inning.

Castillo worked around a leadoff single in the second but couldn't strand a leadoff runner an inning later. Sam Antonacci was hit by a pitch to open the third and scored when Vargas homered to left-center.

Castillo remained winless in eight starts this season. He fell to 0-4 after scattering five hits for four runs in four innings. The right-hander had six strikeouts against zero walks but yielded multiple homers for the second time in his past three outings.

Seattle struggled to mount an attack after scoring 12 runs on 12 hits in the series opener.

Kay (2-1) spaced three hits, all singles, and one run in five innings. He walked two and struck out five, one shy of his season high.

Kay allowed baserunners in every inning but the second but kept the Mariners off the scoreboard apart from a Rob Refsnyder sacrifice fly in the fifth.

The Mariners' relief corps was sharp in spots but not perfect. Josh Simpson retired the first two batters he faced in the fifth before Vargas connected for a solo shot to push the Chicago lead to 5-1.

It was Vargas' first multi-homer game since May 16, 2025. Teammate Tristan Peters also had two hits.

Julio Rodriguez singled twice for the Mariners, who stranded seven runners while going 0-for-5 with men in scoring position.

Edgar Quero provided an insurance run for Chicago on a forceout in the eighth.

Montgomery has reached base in 21 consecutive games.

Left fielder Andrew Benintendi (neck stiffness) was a late scratch for Chicago.

-Field Level Media/Reuters