6/6/2011: Mariners 1, White Sox 3

It was a good night for the South Siders, they picked up a win against a tough young star, Michael Pineda, gained a game on the first place Indians and best of all they got John Danks just enough run support to reward his stellar game and give him his first win of 2011.

Danks was great in one of his best stats this season, going 7 1/3, giving up one run on 7 hits. The run came from the very last hitter he faced with one out in the 8th inning, so he gave 7 full innings of shutout baseball. Tally 1 walk versus 6 strikeouts and you've got a gem. Step one in the long climb back is underway.

The team overall still needs to get those clutch hits in order, but they had just enough tonight, with a couple big plays late in the game. In a long at-bat that almost saw him get beaned in the head, Gordon Beckham hit a single up the middle to score AJ Pierzynski form third, the team's second run, which proved to be a big one when the Mariners picked up their first in the top of the 8th. Pierzynski got himself a 2-out RBI in the bottom of the 8th for a bit of extra insurance, but Sergio Santos seems to be all the insurance the team needs. Coming into the ninth he set them down one, two, three and closed out his 11th save in 12 chances.

The win puts the Sox at 29-33, holding onto 3rd place in the central. Those two losses against Detroit hurt, but overall they didn't do a lot of damage standings-wise. And tonight the Twins beat the Indians, which (in a bizarre, twilight zone manner) brings the Sox within 6 games of the division leading Tribe.

Brent Lillibridge made a second consecutive start in centerfield for the slumping Alex Rios, and continues to repay Ozzie Guillen for his playing time. The Human Highlight Reel made yet another spectacular catch in the third inning, taking away extra bases and possibly preventing a run scoring from first. There are still many, myself included, who doubt Lillibridge's mettle as a full-time starter, but he continues to amaze. Rios came into the game as a pinch runner in the 8th and scored from second on the Pierzynski single.

Another note, Adam Dunn continues to take steps backward with strikeouts number 79 and 80, a tie for the league lead. Instead of taking sole possession of the lead with number 81, he varied it up a little by grounding into a double play that almost killed the 7th inning rally that eventually scored the deciding run off the bat of Gordon Beckham. He left 6 men on base tonight, but fortunately his continued offensive woes didn't cost the team yet another game.

For the second series in a row, the White Sox will face their opponent's dominant ace, this time reigning Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez. Hopefully their recent success against Seattle (they've taken 12 out of the last 14) will continue.