By PAUL LADEWSKI , Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — Marco Gonzales and four relievers combined on a five-hitter, Mitch Haniger singled home the only run and the Seattle Mariners edged the Chicago White Sox 1-0 Tuesday.
At 5-15, the rebuilding White Sox are off to their worst start since the 1950 season. That year they opened 5-20 en route to a 60-94 finish.
Gonzales (2-2) was in control almost from the start, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out eight in six-plus innings. The left-hander snapped a run of three starts in which he lasted no more than 4 2/3 innings.
Seattle broke out on top against fill-in starter Chris Volstad (0-1) in the fourth when Kyle Seager doubled and scored on Haniger’s base hit, both with two outs.
After Yoan Moncada’s leadoff double chased Gonzales in the seventh, reliever Dan Altavilla retired the next two batters before Marc Rzepczynski got the final out of the inning.
Juan Nicasio pitched the eighth then Edwin Diaz worked the ninth for his ninth save in as many tries.
Volstad (0-1) was effective for 4 1/3 innings. The veteran allowed one run and four hits and didn’t walk a batter as a replacement for Miguel Gonzalez, who is on the 10-day disabled list with an inflamed right rotator cuff.
The start was the first for Volstad after four relief appearances this year and third in the majors since the 2012 season.
White Sox manager Rick Renteria was ejected by plate umpire Mike Estabrook after he protested a called third strike to Matt Davidson that ended a two-on, two-out threat in the sixth.
TIME WILL TELL
The game had a rare 4:10 p.m. start time as part of a team marketing experiment. An estimated 2,000 fans witnessed the first pitch in sunny, 59-degree weather. The announced attendance was 10,761.
IN DANNY’S CORNER
Former Mariners teammates and their wives remained in contact with the family of White Sox RHP Danny Farquhar, who underwent surgery for a brain aneurysm last weekend. He spent the 2013-15 seasons with the team.
“You just want to give his family enough space, but you also want to do all you can to be there for support,” said C Mike Zunino, Farquhar’s ex-batterymate. “When you first hear something like this happens, it’s really scary because you have don’t know what’s going to happen. It seems like each day we hear something positive, so that’s a really good feeling.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: 1B Ryon Healy (sprained right ankle) neared his return from the disabled list with a two-run single and walk in four plate appearances for Double-A Arkansas Tuesday.
White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon (left shoulder surgery) pitched three innings Monday against the Reds in an extended spring game in Arizona. He could rejoin the parent club in late May.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Felix Fernandez (2-2, 5.06 ERA) will take a career 6-6 mark vs. the White Sox into the series finale Wednesday. He was a 4-3 winner in his only appearance against them last year.
White Sox: RHP James Shields (1-2, 6.17) comes off his worst start of the season, a 10-0 blowout against the Houston Astros in which he allowed seven earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.
