Dylan Covey tosses gem as White Sox shut out Mariners
SEATTLE - Dylan Covey allowed 2 hits in 8⅓ innings against baffled Seattle hitters, Avisail Garcia hit a 3-run homer in his return off the disabled list, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Mariners 5-0 on Saturday night.
Covey's start to the second half of the season was stunning based on his previous six starts going into the All-Star break. Covey (4-5) won for the first time since June 13 against Cleveland. That was also the last time he pitched beyond the fifth inning. In his previous six starts, Covey was 0-4 with an 11.70 ERA and 6 home runs allowed.
Yet Seattle was unable to solve him. Covey took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Dee Gordon singled with one out. He retired the next nine batters until Jean Segura's one-out single in the ninth.
Covey was lifted after throwing 105 pitches. He had never pitched beyond the seventh inning in a major league start and in his past three road starts, Covey had allowed 18 earned runs and opponents were hitting .380.
He struck out five and got help from solid defense on the infield with 12 ground-ball outs. Shortstop Tim Anderson made a pair of difficult plays to get Gordon and Ben Gamel in the early innings and Yolmer Sanchez robbed Nelson Cruz of a hit in the seventh with a backhanded stop.
Leury Garcia added one more defensive gem to keep the shutout intact, robbing Mitch Haniger of a two-run homer for the second out of the ninth inning with a leaping catch at the wall in left field.
Garcia provided the big blow with his 10th home run of the season off Seattle starter Felix Hernandez. Chicago got all four runs in the fourth inning after Hernandez was dominant the first time through the lineup.
Hernandez (8-8) recorded six straight outs via strikeout in the second and third innings, the only hiccup a walk to Omar Narvaez. But it all fell apart in the fourth. Sanchez opened the inning with a sharp single, Jose Abreu was hit by a curveball that didn't break and with one out Garcia hit a changeup out to deep center field.
Hernandez was activated off the disabled list to make the start after suffering lower back stiffness. He lasted just five innings for the fourth time in his last five starts.