Mariners Game Recap: White Sox Take Opener, 4-2

Despite wearing some of the ugliest uniforms in recent memory, the Chicago White Sox (60-66) beat the Seattle Mariners (59-69) in the series opener on Thursday night. Carlos Rodon (6-5, 4.15 ERA) earned the win for the home side after shutting down the M’s bats. Roenis Elias (4-7, 4.20 ERA) fared reasonably well, but was credited with the loss for Seattle. David Robertson picked up his 27th save of the season.

The Sox took an early lead in the home half of the 1st inning. An Avisail Garcia single put the South Siders up 1-0. Chicago added 2 more runs in the 3rd, and they build their lead to 4-0 in the 5th. Seattle fought back to plate a pair of runs in the 7th, but they were unable to complete the comeback.

Roenis Elias made his first start for the Mariners since early July this evening, and he did pretty well considering. The 27-year-old southpaw allowed 4 runs on 9 hits across 6.2 innings pitched. Elias fanned 3 and did not issue any walks tonight. His numbers may not jump off the page, but he kept his team in the game. Logan Kensing entered in the 7th and pitched 1.1 perfect innings for the Mariners.

Franklin Gutierrez was the Mariners’ offense on Thursday. The 32-year-old outfielder clubbed a 2-run home run that cut the White Sox lead in half in the 7th. Guti is now hitting .300 on the season with 9 home runs and 27 RBI. Nelson Cruz extended his on base streak to 36 games with a single in the 3rd inning. Austin Jackson was the only Mariner to record multiple hits. AJ went 2 for 4 on the night.

Carlos Rodon allowed 2 runs on 3 hits across 6 innings tonight. The 22-year-old left-hander fanned 5 and walked 3 en route to earning his 6th victory of the season. Rodon has big time potential, and his slider is already amongst the best in baseball. Zach Duke held the Mariners off the scoreboard in the 7th, and Nate Jones did the same in the 8th. David Robertson retired the side in order in the 9th to secure the win.

Adam Eaton set the pace for the White Sox on Thursday night, going 3 for 3 with 3 runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Jose Abreu had a nice night, finishing 2 for 4 with a double, 1 RBI and a run scored. Avisail Garcia went 1 for 3 with 2 RBI. Trayce Thompson had a big night, going 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.

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Tonight’s loss means that Seattle has sunk even lower in the American League West standings. The Mariners are now a whopping 12 games back of the division leading Houston Astros. The M’s are currently 7 games out in the wildcard race. The playoffs are no longer a possibility for Seattle, but there is still hope they can play better over the final month of the season.

The Seattle Mariners (59-69) will battle the Chicago White Sox (60-66) on Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 pm PT from the Windy City. Taijuan Walker (9-7, 4.72 ERA) will get the ball the Mariners tomorrow night, and John Danks (6-11, 4.90 ERA) will be on the bump for the Sox. Root Sports Northwest will carry the game live locally, and MLB.tv subscribers can watch worldwide on connected devices.

Next: Mariners Game Notes: Roenis Elias Toes the Rubber for Seattle

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