White
Sox pull away from slumping Mariners
Send a link to a friend
[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.
[to top of second column] |
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.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|