White Sox pull away from slumping Mariners

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[August 29, 2016]  CHICAGO -- White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon muttered something to himself when manager Robin Ventura motioned for a relief pitcher with two runners on base and no outs in the seventh inning.

Moments later, Rodon understood why Ventura made the move to the bullpen. Relief pitchers Chris Beck and Dan Jennings garnered three quick outs to protect a one-run lead, and the White Sox pulled away in the eighth inning for a 4-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday afternoon.

"As a competitor, I want to be in that situation," Rodon said. "I didn't want to come out. But when you've got a manager who has done it for a while, he knows the game of baseball, he knows what he's doing. Obviously, it worked out there. You put your trust in him and leave it to your teammates."

Rodon (5-8) won his third decision in a row and recorded his fifth straight quality start. The 23-year-old limited the Mariners to one run on five hits in six-plus innings. He walked one and struck out six.

In his past five starts, Rodon is 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA, seven walks and 26 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings.

"Carlos is really evolving," Ventura said. "As he goes along, he just seems to be getting better. There's more confidence there. He's learning a lot about himself as well, going through these (outings). He gets extended somewhat, he's in there for a while (and) he's seeing these guys for the third time around, which is good for him."

Melky Cabrera finished 2-for-4 with a double, triple and an RBI for the White Sox. Justin Morneau went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs as Chicago (63-66) won three of four games in the series.

Robinson Cano went 2-for-4 with a solo home run to power the Mariners. Kyle Seager finished 3-for-4 with a triple as Seattle (68-62) lost for the sixth time in its past eight games.

Cano, Seager and Franklin Gutierrez were the only players with hits for Seattle. Pinch-hitter Adam Lind grounded into an inning-ending double play with runners on first and third base and one out in the seventh.

"We just didn't get much going offensively," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "You've got to get hits with runners in scoring position."

Mariners right-hander Taijuan Walker (4-9) suffered his third straight loss after allowing four runs on four hits in 7 1/3 innings. Walker walked one and struck out three.

Walker retired the first nine batters he faced before finding trouble in the fourth inning. He allowed a bloop double to Cabrera and hit Adam Eaton and Jose Abreu with pitches to load the bases.

Morneau capitalized with a one-out, opposite-field single to give the White Sox a 2-0 advantage.

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White Sox left fielder Melky Cabrera (53) hits a triple during the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

"I didn't feel my best today, but fastball command was good, and the changeup," Walker said. "(Catcher Mike Zunino) did a really good job of staying with the game plan the whole time and making sure even after we hit a couple batters we still kept pounding them in."

The Mariners pulled within 2-1 in the sixth inning on Cano's solo home run. Cano yanked an inside pitch down the right-field line for his 30th home run of the season and his second in the past four games. The blast marked the second time in Cano's 12-year career that he has hit at least 30 home runs.

Chicago scored twice in the eighth inning to increase its lead to 4-1. Cabrera drove in Tim Anderson with a triple to right-center field, and Cabrera scored moments later on Abreu's sacrifice fly.

White Sox right-hander David Robertson pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 33rd save.

Eaton left the game in the fifth inning because of a bruised right forearm after being hit by a pitch one inning earlier. The White Sox announced X-rays were negative and Eaton's status is day to day.

NOTES: White Sox RHP Miguel Gonzalez reported no issues after pitching in a simulated game Saturday and will go on a minor league rehabilitation assignment this week, manager Robin Ventura said. Gonzalez, 32, has been on the disabled list since Aug. 12 because of a strained right groin. He is 2-6 with a 4.05 ERA in 19 games, including 18 starts. ... Mariners 3B Kyle Seager started his second straight game after missing three contests because of a right foot injury. "Is he 100 percent? Probably not," manager Scott Servais said. "Obviously, (he is) good enough to go out there and play and give us a good effort." ... White Sox C Alex Avila received the day off after homering Saturday in his first game since July 5. ... Mariners C Mike Zunino returned to the starting lineup in place of C Chris Iannetta, who started Saturday.

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