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White Sox edge Mariners, Danks gets first win

Jun 7, 2011 - 5:06 AM

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Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - John Danks pitched into the eighth inning to pick up his first win of the year, outdueling rookie Michael Pineda in the Chicago White Sox's 3-1 decision over the Seattle Mariners.

Danks (1-8) lost his first eight decisions in the worst opening to a season by a White Sox starter since 1942. The lefty looked like his 15-game winning self of a year ago, allowing just one unearned run on seven hits with striking out six and walking just one in 7 1/3 innings.

"I'd be lying if I told you it hadn't been tough ... I had been wondering when it would turn around," Danks admitted.

Paul Konerko hit a solo homer, while A.J. Pierzynski went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for Chicago, which dropped two straight to Detroit over the weekend.

Pineda (6-3) was effective despite taking the loss, allowing two runs on five hits in seven frames for the Mariners, who came into the three-game series on a 14-4 stretch.

Brendan Ryan, who had a possible run-scoring hit robbed by a diving Brent Lillibridge in left-center in the third inning and struck out with runners on the corners in the fifth, atoned for the missed opportunities by singling home Greg Halman for Seattle's only run in the eighth.

"[Danks] kept us off balance," Ryan said. "We still have to make something happen. You tip your hat, but we still have to look at ourselves."

Jesse Crain relieved Danks after Ryan's hit and maintained the 2-1 lead, and Pierzynski got the run back in the bottom half. His opposite-field single off David Pauley brought in Alex Rios, who pinch-ran for Carlos Quentin following his two-out double.

Sergio Santos took over in the ninth and threw a 1-2-3 frame to post his 11th save of the season.

Konerko got just enough of Pineda's hanging slider leading off the fourth inning to send it into the first row of seats in left field.

Chicago went ahead 2-0 in the seventh, as Pierzynski hit a ground-rule double leading off and scored on Gordon Beckham's two-out base hit up the middle.

Game Notes

Chicago's Eddie Smith opened the 1942 campaign by losing his first 10 decisions...Danks was 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA in his previous five starts against Seattle...Pineda has 10 quality starts in 12 outings this year...Seattle has lost nine straight in Chicago.






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