CHICAGO - It was a game that matched the lackluster seasons of both the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox on Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

Despite only nine innings on a rainy night without any delays, it took 4 hours, 16 minutes for the Mariners to edge the White Sox 7-6 for their fifth win in the last seven games.

Seattle got three runs in the first inning, built a 7-2 lead going into the bottom of the eighth and then nearly gave it away. The White Sox pulled within a run in their half of the eighth by scoring four runs on four hits and two walks, forcing Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon to use closer Tom Wilhelmsen for a four-out save.

"We were able to battle pretty good and get a couple runs there in the first ... that was big," said Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, who went 2-for-5 and hit a two-run homer in the first. "With the way it was raining, when you get some runs there early you start feeling good about it. The elements weren't really on anybody's side tonight, so you've got to battle out there."

All four runs were charged to Seattle right-handed reliever Logan Kensing, who went 1 2/3 innings.

After allowing a two-run single to White Sox third baseman Tyler Saladino and a run-scoring single by Jose Abreu, Wilhelmsen preserved the lead by getting Melky Cabrera to ground out with runners at first and third for the final out in the eighth. He also pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma (6-3) started for the Mariners and was credited with the win after allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

"He didn't have his best stuff," McClendon said. "He might be in a little lull. I'm sure he'll bounce back, but he gave us what he had and it was good enough tonight."

Right-hander Jeff Samardzija (8-11) started for Chicago and took the loss, allowing five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. It was his sixth straight loss since White Sox general manager Rick Hahn decided not to trade him before the July 31 non-waivers trade deadline.

Seager, Robinson Cano, Seth Smith and Ketel Marte led the Mariners offense. Seager's two-run homer pushed his season total to 20 for the fourth consecutive season. Cano went 4-for-4 and scored a run, Smith went 1-for-4 with two RBIs and Marte was 1-for-4 with two RBIs before leaving with a hamstring strain.

Saladino went 1-for-4 with two RBIs and Avisail Garcia went 3-for-5 to lead the White Sox, who also got RBI singles by Adam LaRoche and Tyler Flowers.

Chicago, which has lost five of its past seven games, failed to capitalize on bases-loaded situations in the third and fourth innings and stranded 11 runners in the game.

"We get the bases loaded a few times, you would like to get a little more out of it," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "We didn’t get it. Even in the eighth, it was building there. We thought (we) would be able to tie it up, and as wet as it was, you are hoping something goes your way."

Not much went their way up until the eighth.

Seattle wasted no time attacking Samardzija, who had lost five straight starts coming into the game and carried a 9.00 ERA from those outings into this game.

The Mariners scored three runs in the first and tacked on runs in the third and fourth to build a 5-0 lead for Iwakuma, who escaped the third with no damage after loading the bases with two outs.

Seager's homer highlighted the Mariners' rally in the first. It was his third home run in his past three games and made it 2-0 after Marte led off the game with a single to right field. Smith made it 3-0 in the first with a sacrifice fly.

"Again, it was a crooked-number homer and it seems to repeat in what we're saying here," Samardzija said of Seager's blast. "Obviously, it's unfortunate and it needs to stop happening. I just have to get that ball down, going in. You leave it out over the plate and Seager hits it out. That's it."

Back-to-back doubles by Cano and Smith plated a run in the third to make it 4-0 and a leadoff double by Brad Miller in the fourth led to a run that gave the Mariners the five-run lead.

Chicago got one back in the bottom of the fourth on three straight singles to start the inning, but the White Sox left the bases loaded against Iwakuma for the second straight inning.

NOTES: Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said RHP Felix Hernandez will have his turn in the starting rotation skipped Monday to "freshen him up," for the September stretch run. McClendon said RHP Taijuan Walker will also get skipped in the rotation at some point for the same reason. ... LHP James Paxton (strained left middle finger) made a rehab start at Triple-A Tacoma on Friday. McClendon said Paxton's fastball was clocked in the mid-90s, but his breaking pitches weren't sharp. ... Seattle RHP Joe Beimel (shoulder inflammation) was scheduled to throw an inning of relief Saturday at Triple-A Tacoma and make one more relief appearance Sept. 2 before coming off the 15-day disabled list. The White Sox placed RHP Zach Putnam on the 15-day DL with a right groin strain. ... Chicago reinstated RHP Daniel Webb from the DL after a right upper back strain.