White Sox 4, Mariners 3
White Sox 4, Mariners 3: Alex Rios smashed a tiebreaking two-run homer as host Chicago defeated Seattle ace Felix Hernandez.
Conor Gillaspie went 2-for-3 and scored twice as the White Sox avenged Friday’s 10-inning loss to the Mariners. Chicago racked up four runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings against Hernandez (1-1).
Donnie Veal (1-0) retired three batters for his second big-league victory and Addison Reed struck out two in a flawless ninth for his third save.
The game was tied at one when Alejandro De Aza led off the sixth with a single and Rios hit a one-out homer well into the left-field stands. De Aza added a seventh-inning sacrifice fly to make it 4-1 before Seattle’s Michael Saunders hit an opposite-field two-run homer to left in the eighth to get the Mariners within a run.
The Mariners had two runners on later in the eighth before Jesse Crain entered and struck out Raul Ibanez and retired Justin Smoak on a grounder to end the inning.
GAME NOTEBOOK: White Sox starter Dylan Axelrod allowed one unearned run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings. … Hernandez was trying for his 100th career victory. … Chicago INF Jeff Keppinger went hitless in four at-bats and is 1-for-21 through five games.