White Sox 2 - 3 Mariners
Final
  for this game

White Sox bring poor record into opener at Seattle

May 6, 2011 - 3:00 PM (Sports Network) - Not much has gone right for the Chicago White Sox this season. Perhaps a trip to Seattle will change their fortunes, as the White Sox begin a three-game series against the Mariners at Safeco Field.

The White Sox won nine of their 10 meetings with the Mariners a year ago. However, Ozzie Guillen's club has found wins hard to come by this season, as it enters this nine-game road trip with the worst record in baseball at 11-21.

Chicago lost for the seventh time in eight tries on Wednesday against Minnesota, falling 3-2.

John Danks (0-5) allowed three runs over eight innings to suffer the loss.

"We are wasting good pitching," said Guillen. "It's kind of like you look around, look around and see if you can grab something and take it from there, but there is nothing to grab there right now."

The loss capped a stretch that saw Chicago play 20 games in 20 days. They were just 4-16 in that span.

It doesn't figure to get any easier tonight for the White Sox, as they face the American League's reigning Cy Young Award winner in Felix Hernandez, who is unbeaten in his last three starts and 3-2 with a 3.21 ERA on the season.

Hernandez did not get a decision on Sunday against Boston, as he allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings. He also struck out 10 in his team's 3-2 loss.

The talented right-hander has had his troubles against the White Sox, posting just a 2-3 mark to go along with a 3.09 ERA.

Chicago, meanwhile, will counter with righty Philip Humber, who has lost three of his last four starts. Humber, though, pitched well in defeat on Saturday against Baltimore, as he allowed two runs and three hits over seven innings. That outing came on the heels of a brilliant one-hit showing over seven scoreless innings against the New York Yankees.

Humber, who will be making his first ever start against the Mariners, is facing a Seattle team that just took two of three from the Texas Rangers.

Jason Vargas and the Seattle bullpen shut down the Rangers on Thursday, and Justin Smoak and Ichiro Suzuki provided the Mariners with enough offense to take the three-game series with a 3-1 win.

Vargas (2-2) allowed just one run on six hits and two walks over 7 2/3 innings, and Jamey Wright bridged the gap to Brandon League, who hurled a perfect ninth to record his ninth save in as many chances.

Smoak went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, while Suzuki had two hits and an RBI for the Mariners, winners in seven of their last nine.






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