White Sox at Mariners
The Chicago White Sox offense is reaching new levels of incompetence as the club drifts under .500. The White Sox will attempt to string a few hits together when they continue their west coast trip by visiting the Seattle Mariners for the opener of a three-game series on Monday.
Chicago was shut out 2-0 by the Atlanta Braves to close the first half and was blanked in each of the first two games of the second half at the Los Angeles Angels on Friday and Saturday. Adam Eaton’s RBI double in the third inning of Sunday’s 8-1 setback snapped a 34-inning scoreless streak, and the White Sox went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position in the three games against the Angels. The Mariners have dropped seven of their last 10 games and are not much better than Chicago at the plate with a total of five runs scored in the last three contests. Seattle is trying to hang around the fringes of the wild-card race in the American League and is looking at a schedule that pits it against winning teams in 12 straight games after the White Sox.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, ROOT (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH Chris Sale (14-3, 3.38 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Wade LeBlanc (1-0, 3.52)
Sale started the All-Star Game for the American League on Tuesday and surrendered a solo home run in his lone inning, continuing a trend that saw him get bashed for six homers in his final three starts before the break. The Florida native was ripped for eight runs on 10 hits - three homers – and two walks in five innings against light-hitting Atlanta on July 8. Sale has never lost to the Mariners in his career and is 4-0 with a 2.66 ERA in seven games – five starts.
LeBlanc posted a pair of quality starts in his first two chances with the Mariners before getting roughed up for five runs – four earned – and six hits in 3 1/3 innings at Houston on July 6. The veteran journeyman recorded 10 strikeouts and three walks while yielding a pair of home runs in those first three outings. LeBlanc has worked four scoreless innings of relief in his career against the White Sox.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mariners C Chris Iannetta sat out Saturday and Sunday and is mired in a 0-for-17 slump.
2. Chicago rookie SS Tim Anderson is 0-for-11 with six strikeouts in the last three games.
3. Seattle RF Nelson Cruz (foot) sat out Saturday and was limited to two at-bats before being removed on Sunday.