• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Mariners-White Sox Preview

Jul 27, 2010 - 4:35 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Seattle (39-60) at Chicago (53-44), 8:10 p.m. EDT

At home facing the Seattle Mariners appears to be what the Chicago White Sox need to overcome a recent rough road trip.

The AL Central-leading White Sox try to continue their success against the Mariners while looking for a ninth straight home win Tuesday night.

Chicago (54-44) took the division lead after winning its final game before the All-Star break, then managed to keep it despite going 4-6 on its trip following the layoff.

Back home for the first time since July 11, Chicago improved to 6-1 against the Mariners with a 6-1 win Monday. The White Sox have won nine of 10 over Seattle at U.S. Cellular Field, where they will try for their first nine-game winning streak since June 17-July 2, 2008.

Chicago has a one-game lead over Minnesota in the division.

"Believe me, (these) guys think we can win this thing," manager Ozzie Guillen told the White Sox official website.

Juan Pierre and Alexei Ramirez each had three hits, and Paul Konerko added his 22nd homer Monday as the White Sox equaled their run total from the previous two games at Oakland - both losses.

Ramirez is 5 for 8 with two RBIs in the last two games after going 0 for 12 in his previous three. He is batting .346 against the Mariners in 2010. Konerko is 11 for 26 with four homers and five RBIs this season against the Mariners.

Seattle (39-61) has scored 16 runs and hit .204 against the White Sox this season. After John Danks threw eight solid innings in the opener, Gavin Floyd (5-8, 3.87 ERA) looks for a second straight strong start against the Mariners on Tuesday.

Coming off his first loss since June 13, Floyd allowed five hits and struck out six in seven shutout innings of a 2-1, 11-inning loss at Seattle on Wednesday.

Though the right-hander is 3-2 with a 1.16 ERA in his last nine starts, he is 1-4 with a 6.70 ERA in eight lifetime against the Mariners. Floyd allowed five runs in 6 1-3 innings, but didn't factor in the decision of a 7-6 home win over Seattle on April 23.

Ichiro Suzuki, 9 for 22 against Floyd, had two hits Monday for the Mariners but is 5 for 25 in his last six games. He is hitting .241 against the White Sox this season.

"He says he feels fine," manager Don Wakamatsu told the Mariners' official website.

Disgruntled Mariners infielder Chone Figgins is 5 for 25 against the White Sox after going 0 for 4 in the opener.

Seattle's Ryan Rowland-Smith (1-9, 6.27) looks to avoid a fourth consecutive loss as he takes the mound.

The left-hander is 0-3 with a 6.82 ERA in six starts since beating Cincinnati on June 20. He is 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA in his last three after giving up five runs in six innings of an 8-6, 13-inning loss to Boston on Thursday.

Rowland-Smith is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts against the White Sox, but allowed five runs in 5 1-3 innings in the April loss to Floyd.