Chris Sale Loses Pitcher's Duel, White Sox Fall To Mariners 3-1
CHICAGO (AP) -- Chris Sale struck out 14 but got outpitched by Felix Hernandez and the Seattle bullpen, and the Mariners ended a three-game skid Friday night by beating the Chicago White Sox, 3-1.
Hernandez (9-4) improved to 5-0 in eight starts since returning from the disabled list, throwing 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball.
Sale (15-7) gave up five hits and walked none in his fifth complete game of the season. He retired the final 16 batters, striking out 10 of them.
Sale struck out six straight in the sixth and seventh innings, one shy of Joe Cowley's team record.
Franklin Gutierrez hit a solo home run and Adam Lind added an RBI double off Sale.
Todd Frazier's 32nd home run in the seventh was one of eight hits off Hernandez until he left with the bases loaded.
Hernandez, a six-time All-Star, entered leading the AL in ERA (2.95) since 2012. Sale, a five-time All-Star, was tops in that period in strikeouts (1,065).
Sale started for the AL in the All-Star Game this year after Hernandez did in 2015.
Gutierrez sent Sale's 97 mph fastball into the seats in right-center in the second and the Mariners added another run on a double play in the third.
Nelson Cruz singled and scored on Lind's double in the fourth.
The White Sox hit into two double plays and had two players picked off first before Frazier homered.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: C Alex Avila (hamstring) was activated off the disabled list to replace Navarro. . LF Melky Cabrera (sick) missed a second straight game. "It looks like he'll be fine for tomorrow," manager Robin Ventura said.
UP NEXT
Chicago's Jose Quintana (10-9), holder of the AL's third-best ERA at 2.84, faces fellow LHP Ariel Miranda (1-0, 5.49) on Saturday night.
(© 2016 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)
