White Sox-Mariners Preview

5/11/2008 1:40 AM

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Editor

Gavin Floyd has really put it together for the Chicago White Sox in his second season with the club.

He'll make his first career start at Safeco Field when the White Sox look to complete their first sweep at Safeco Field on Sunday against the slumping Seattle Mariners.

Floyd (3-1, 2.50 ERA), acquired from Philadelphia before the 2007 season, has been Chicago's most consistent starter so far and leads the majors in opponent batting average (.149). He's been tough to hit despite only having 19 strikeouts in 39 2-3 innings.

The right-hander has also had a penchant for flirting with a no-hitter this season. The first occasion came on April 12 against Detroit when he took one into the seventh inning, eventually yielding one hit over 7 1-3 frames in a 7-0 win.

Floyd didn't win again until the next time he nearly pitched a no-hitter - on Tuesday against Minnesota. He didn't surrender a hit until Justin Morneau's one-out double in the ninth and was promptly lifted in a 7-1 victory.

Asked if he was destined to throw a no-hitter, Floyd said: "Who knows? It's out of your control."

Floyd is making his second career start against the Mariners (14-24) after being tagged for seven runs over four innings in a 7-6 home loss on Aug. 11, 2007. He has since pitched a total of three scoreless innings of relief against Seattle over two appearances.

Chicago (18-17) hasn't enjoyed much success in Seattle over the years and had lost six straight at Safeco entering this series. The White Sox, however, have taken the first two games to move within a win of their first sweep in Seattle since they won all four games at the Kingdome from June 23-26, 1994.

Brian Anderson and Carlos Quentin each homered and combined for five RBIs as Chicago won 8-4 on Saturday. The White Sox, who gave slumping Jim Thome the night off, have won three in a row for the first time since a five-game run from April 3-7.

The Mariners, meanwhile, have lost five straight and 10 of 11. They have scored a total of only seven runs over their last five games.

"There were a few games there we didn't have anything, no fire or anything," manager John McLaren said after Saturday's loss. "Tonight, I could tell there was something there. Even trailing 6-0, guys were determined and they did come back."

Miguel Batista (2-4, 5.66) hopes to provide the Mariners with some innings when he takes the mound. He has failed to pitch past the third inning in two of his last three outings, including a 4-3 loss to Oakland on April 25 in which he left in the second with a strained right groin.

Batista had another short outing on Tuesday, but it was because he gave up six runs and walked six in just 2 1-3 innings in a 10-1 loss to Texas. He has a 14.04 ERA in three home starts.

The right-hander is 3-1 with a 3.23 ERA in seven career starts against the White Sox, winning his last three games against them.