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Mariners-White Sox Preview

Apr 24, 2010 - 5:18 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Seattle (9-7) at Chicago (5-11), 4:10 p.m. EDT

Seattle's Doug Fister made his first major league start against the Chicago White Sox last year, pitching six scoreless innings.

He's been putting up similar numbers over his first three starts this season.

Fister looks to make another stellar outing against Chicago on Saturday when the Mariners continue a three-game series against the White Sox.

Seattle (9-8) called up Fister (2-1, 1.42 ERA) last August, and the right-hander was impressive in his first start, not getting a decision despite limiting the White Sox to one hit in a 3-1 defeat. He remained in the rotation and finished 3-4 with a 4.13 ERA.

Fister took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his last start en route to an 8-2 win over Baltimore on Monday. After pitching eight scoreless innings against Oakland on April 13, he gave up one run and three hits to the Orioles.

"I felt like my last start was huge, getting some success and keeping the ball down in the zone," he said. "I kind of took that into today."

Fister will try to help the Mariners bounce back from only their second loss in nine games after they fell 7-6 to the White Sox (6-11) on Friday. Jose Lopez hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to put Seattle ahead, but Andruw Jones hit a walk-off homer in the ninth - his second home run of the night.

"The good thing of this ballgame was the offense and Jose Lopez," manager Don Wakamatsu said.

The Mariners had allowed just four runs in their sweep of Baltimore, but they gave up 10 hits to a White Sox team that entered hitting .215 and had lost six of seven.

Ichiro Suzuki went 2 for 5 with two runs scored. He's hitting .438 in the last eight games and bounced back after going 0 for 3 on Wednesday against Baltimore. Suzuki has hit .375 at U.S. Cellular Field in his last seven games there.

The White Sox will try to clinch their first series victory of the season with a win Saturday. Paul Konerko and Carlos Quentin also homered in Friday's game.

Jones, meanwhile, snapped a 3-for-18 slump in his first seven games in Chicago.

"I had a conversation with him, if you swing the bat good I will play you," manager Ozzie Guillen said

The White Sox will turn Saturday to Freddy Garcia (0-2, 8.10), who hasn't pitched since giving up seven runs and eight hits in three innings of a 7-3 loss to the Blue Jays on April 15. With Monday's off day, they were able to skip his turn in the rotation.

"Hopefully, I throw the ball better and see what happens Saturday," Garcia told the White Sox's official web site. "You know, that's what it is, man. That's what they want to do, so I do it. It's for my own good, so I do it."

The right-hander, who pitched five-plus seasons to start his career with Seattle, has won his last two starts against the Mariners.

On Friday, Milton Bradley sat out a second straight game with a sore calf. It's uncertain whether he'll play this weekend in his first trip to Chicago since his controversial interview about the city following his trade from the Cubs.