SEATTLE — Yermín Mercedes continued his early season tear with three hits, Carlos Rodon struck out nine and the Chicago White Sox three-hit the Seattle Mariners 6-0 on Monday night.
Mercedes is the first player since at least 1900 to total 12 hits in his first four career starts — all in the first week of this season. He was also the first player since at least 1900 to start a season 8 for 8. The 28-year-old designated hitter is up to 12 of 18.
Yasmani Grandal hit his 150th homer, driving in three and scoring twice to help Chicago snap a two-game skid.
Rodon (1-0) allowed two hits over five innings in his first appearance of the season. Michael Kopech followed with five strikeouts over two innings, allowing a walk and a hit, and José Ruiz closed out with two perfect innings.
White Sox pitchers struck out all nine Mariners batters at least once, although Rodon wasn’t totally sharp. He allowed a runner to reach third with an errant pickoff attempt, walked three consecutive batters in the fourth inning for Seattle’s most significant scoring threat and hit two batters.
Left-hander Justus Sheffield (0-1) allowed six runs — four earned — eight hits and two walks, striking out five in five innings. He was stung by third baseman Kyle Seager’s fourth-inning bobble of a potential double-play ball on a grounder by Grandal.
The White Sox scored three runs in the inning with RBIs from Andrew Vaughn and Billy Hamilton and added two more in the fifth on Grandal’s RBI single.
LEFTY LOVE
It was the 16th consecutive win for Chicago against left-handed starters, tying the 1963 Baltimore Orioles for the second-longest streak in major league history. Only the 2004-05 Atlanta Braves have a longer winning streak against lefties with 18.
The White Sox last lost to a lefty in September 2019, going 14-0 in 2020 to become the first team to finish a season undefeated against either right- or left-handed pitchers.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: SS Tim Anderson is unlikely to play in the series against the Mariners with a hamstring injury. Results of an MRI were not available before the game, but manager Tony La Russa said he would expect Anderson to miss several games after pulling his left hamstring while running out a groundball in the first inning Sunday at the Los Angeles Angels.
Mariners: OF Kyle Lewis took another step in his recovery from a deep bone bruise in his right knee when he started hitting in the batting cages under the stadium. Manager Scott Servais doesn’t expect him back in the lineup until the middle of April. “We want to be careful in how quick we ramp him up, but he’s moving in the right direction,” Servais said.
UP NEXT
White Sox: RHP Lucas Giolito (0-0, 3.38) makes his second start of the season after a no-decision in the season opener against the Los Angeles Angels. He struck out nine and allowed two hits in five-plus innings.
Mariners: LHP James Paxton makes his return to the mound for Seattle, the team that traded him to the New York Yankees two seasons ago. The offseason free agent acquisition was 1-1 with a 6.64 ERA last season.
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