Final
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Mariners-White Sox Preview

Aug 28, 2015 - 5:24 AM Though the Chicago White Sox have struggled to consistently win games this season, that hasn't been the case when facing the AL West - especially at home.

They'll look for a seventh straight home victory over a West opponent Friday night against the Seattle Mariners.

Trying to remain a postseason contender, Chicago (60-66) is five games out of the AL's final wild-card spot but has four teams to hurdle. While that might seem like a tall order, the White Sox have seven games left with West residents Seattle (59-69) and Oakland to potentially help their cause.

Chicago is 18-8 against that division this season, and has a 1.50 ERA while going 9-1 against the West at home. The White Sox, however, are 33-47 overall against the rest of the AL.

Leadoff hitter Adam Eaton had three hits and rookie Trayce Thompson added two more in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Mariners. Eaton is batting .344 in the last eight games, and is 7 for 16 in four against Seattle over that stretch.

Thompson is hitting .519 with six RBIs in 27 at-bats over 12 games since making his major league debut Aug. 4.

"Trayce is swinging it well," manager Robin Ventura said. "You get him in there and he makes things happen."

John Danks (6-11, 4.90 ERA) went 2-0 with a 1.16 ERA in his first three starts against AL West teams this season, but since is 0-2 with an 8.25 ERA in outings that came in his last two overall. The Mariners tagged the left-hander for seven runs and eight hits in five-plus innings of Sunday's 8-6 defeat.

"I think anytime he elevates and doesn't work down in the zone, there's going to be some issues," Ventura said.

Though four of Danks' last six outings have come on the road, he's 3-0 in his last six at U.S. Cellular Field and has allowed two runs over 25 2-3 innings of the last four there.

Austin Jackson and Robinson Cano are batting a combined .435 with five doubles and five home runs against Danks. With two hits in the opener, Jackson is batting .373 in his last 15 contests and is 6 for 13 in the last three against the White Sox.

The Mariners, though, went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position Thursday.

''We had opportunities throughout the game and didn't take advantage,'' manager Lloyd McClendon said. "If we went up without a bat, we probably would have had a run in and the bases loaded. That's tough."

Taijuan Walker (9-7, 4.73) improved to 2-0 in his last seven starts after Sunday's win over Chicago, but his ERA rose to 5.37 in the last nine by allowing four of his five runs in a sixth inning he never completed.

"I got a little comfortable with the (7-1) lead and was leaving stuff right down the middle, and they're not going to miss pitches like that," Walker told MLB's official website.

Though Eaton is 1 for 6 against Walker, Jose Abreu is 3 for 5 with a home run off the right-hander.

The Mariners played the opener hours after dealing struggling reliever Fernando Rodney to the Chicago Cubs for cash.