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White Sox-Mariners Preview

Aug 10, 2009 - 3:09 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Chicago (57-54) at Seattle (57-53), 10:10 p.m. EDT

Visits to Seattle haven't been very enjoyable for the Chicago White Sox during the past eight seasons.

Chicago tries again to turn around its fortunes at Safeco Field as it opens a three-game series against the Mariners on Monday night.

The White Sox are 10-22 at Seattle since the start of 2001. They went 6-11 there over the previous five seasons - four of which ended with Seattle last in the AL West.

Chicago did take two of three at Safeco from May 9-11, 2008, its first series win there since 2005.

The White Sox will face an improved Seattle team that has won five of eight and took two of three from Tampa Bay over the weekend. The Mariners (58-53) won the finale 11-2 on Sunday, as Franklin Gutierrez and Jose Lopez each had three hits while Russell Branyan added a grand slam.

The Mariners have been carried by their offense as they have moved within five games of the wild card. Seattle scored 51 runs in the last eight games, hitting .314 in that span.

"You're always looking at the scoreboard to see what other teams are doing. Yeah, it's talked about in here," said Ryan Rowland-Smith, the winning pitcher Sunday.

"But, obviously, it's only August. Hopefully we can still be right there in September."

Gutierrez's three-hit performance, which included a home run, was his second straight. He batted .407 with five RBIs in the last six games.

Chicago (57-55) is closer to a playoff spot than Seattle, but the White Sox fell three games behind first-place Detroit in the AL Central with an 8-4 loss to Cleveland on Sunday.

Chicago took three of four from New York and two of three from Los Angeles to start a 10-game homestand, but dropped two of three to the Indians.

"I loved the way we started, I don't like the way we finished, that's how I can describe it," manager Ozzie Guillen said.

Jermaine Dye's slump continued Sunday as he went 0 for 4. The right fielder batted .132 in his last nine games and didn't drive in a run in the last five.

Guillen could be facing another problem after his overworked bullpen pitched 4 1-3 innings Sunday. White Sox starters didn't reach the sixth inning in five of the last nine games.

Chicago, loser of 10 of 12 on the road, will hand the ball to Gavin Floyd (9-6, 3.91 ERA).

Floyd is looking to win his fourth straight. He pitched eight innings against Los Angeles on Wednesday, allowing two runs while striking out six in a 6-2 victory. The right-hander posted a 1.21 ERA in his last three outings.

Floyd, though, is 1-2 with an 8.24 ERA in four career starts versus the Mariners. He did pitch well against them April 29, allowing three runs and 10 hits over six innings of a 6-3 win, although he didn't receive a decision.

Seattle will counter with Luke French (2-2, 3.93), who made his Mariners debut Wednesday and allowed four runs and a season-high nine hits in five innings of an 11-6 victory over Kansas City.

French, acquired in the deal that sent Jarrod Washburn to Detroit, hasn't faced Chicago.

The White Sox took two of three from the Mariners at U.S. Cellular Field in April.