Lance Lynn matches a Chicago White Sox record with 16 strikeouts — but they lose 5-1 to the Seattle Mariners – The Denver Post

Lance Lynn alternated between strikes and balls in the first four pitches of his outing, facing J.P. Crawford.

The Seattle Mariners shortstop fouled off the fifth pitch. Lynn then went to a changeup for a strikeout.

The sequence set the tone for a record-tying day for the Chicago White Sox starter.

Lynn matched the franchise record for strikeouts in a game, finishing with 16 in seven-plus innings in a 5-1 loss to the Mariners in front of 44,772 on Sunday at T-Mobile Park.

“All in all my stuff was good today, but we lost,” Lynn said. “It doesn’t matter how many you strike out, you have to win the game. It was a series loss for us and we need to win as many series as we can, and today we weren’t able to do that.”

The right-hander allowed three runs on four hits with two walks in seven-plus innings. The Mariners broke the game open in the eighth with a three-run triple by Jarred Kelenic against reliever Reynaldo López.

Lynn’s 16 strikeouts tied Jack Harshman, who established the mark on July 25, 1954, in Boston in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Lynn’s 16th came in the seventh when he fanned Mike Ford to end the inning.

“You just want to pitch well, to be honest,” Lynn said. “You don’t really start thinking about records or anything, especially like that in a single-game situation. I didn’t know how many I had, to be honest with you.

“(Pitching coach) Ethan (Katz) at one point said, ‘Hey, you have a career high,’ and I said, ‘Of what.’ After that I said maybe I’ll go for a career-high pitches too.”

Lynn’s previous high for strikeouts was 12, which he had accomplished three times.

He had 33 swing and misses Sunday, the most by any pitcher in a game this season.

“Command was great, his sweeper was good, he was feeling his sweeper,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Pitched in, pitched away, pitched up in the zone, back-doored lefties, used his changeup. He had everything going today. Thirty-three swings and misses, that’s unheard of.”

He struck out two batters in the first, second, third, fifth and seventh. And he struck out three in the fourth and sixth.

Lynn’s outing came when the Sox desperately needed length. The bullpen has been taxed during a six-game trip that included two 11-inning games and a shortened start by Mike Clevinger on Wednesday because of injury.

“My goal was to make sure nobody was used,” Lynn said. “Came a little short of that, but all in all I had good stuff. But they were able to scratch out enough to win a game.

“That opportunity there is why you come to the ballpark and play the game and make sure you give everything you can and give it all. Today was all in all not bad but it was a loss.”

Lynn threw 114 pitches. He exited after Kolten Wong reached on a bunt single to begin the eighth.

“He knew we needed him and that’s what makes him great,” Grifol said. “It doesn’t matter what he’s done or his ERA or anything like that, it’s what he’s done in his career and who he is. He knew that this club needed him today and he took the ball into the eighth and he wanted to go back out.

“I can’t say enough about what he did today and what he showed in character.”

He came in with a 6.75 ERA for the season and was 0-2 with a 10.93 ERA in his previous three starts. It clicked Sunday.

“I threw the ball well and was mixing up pitches well and keeping them off balance,” Lynn said. “It was working.”

While Lynn had it all working on the mound, the offense couldn’t put much together.

The lone Sox run came in the sixth on an RBI single by Andrew Benintendi. They hit the ball hard but couldn’t find gaps. The Sox were missing Tim Anderson, who was recovering from right shoulder soreness that led to an early exit Saturday.

“You’re positive with Lance’s performance, but as an offense we understand we need to get more results and get more runs,” third baseman Jake Burger said. “It was a great pitching performance, positive there, but frustrating offensively.”

The Sox trailed 2-1 as López pitched with one on and two outs in the eighth. He walked two and Kelenic cleared the bases with the triple.

Despite Lynn’s historic performance, the Sox dropped two of three in the series and went 2-4 on the trip.

“We have to continue to work and grind this thing out until we figure some things out at the plate,” Grifol said. “We’ve got to put the ball in the air, we’ve got to hit homers and we’ve got to get on base prior to those homers. I have confidence in these guys. Just got to continue to work.”

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