Avisail Garcia collected four-hits and six RBI to key the offensive explosion as the White Sox crushed the Mariners, 16-1, in Seattle. Garcia homered twice and added a two-run double to extend the Chicago lead to 10 in the fourth inning. Willy Garcia also went deep and notched three RBI for the Sox. Mike Pelfrey tossed six innings of one-run ball to pick up his first win.
M's starter Yovani Gallardo was chased in the fourth and gave up 10 runs in the loss. Jean Segura prevented the shutout with an RBI groundout in the sixth inning.
Final game of the series is this afternoon in Seattle. The Pre-Game Show begins at 2:35 on Good Time Olides 1060.
The CHICAGO Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are expected to
start the scheduled starters for Saturday's rainout today, with
right-hander Jake Arrieta going for the Cubs and right-hander Chase
Anderson pitching for the Brewers.
Saturday's game at Wrigley Field will be made up on July 6.
Arrieta is 4-3 with a 5.44 ERA this season, while Anderson is 2-0
with a 3.43 ERA.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell said left fielder Ryan Braun (left
calf strain) could return as soon as today or as late as Thursday
from the 10-day disabled list. He went on the disabled list on May
12, retroactive to May 11.
"He will just test himself inside on the treadmill today as far as
a running perspective," Counsell said. "Then we'll make a judgment
probably tomorrow morning as to what we're going to do."
Without Braun, the Brewers posted a 7-2 record and have won 10 of
their last 12 games.
"The offense is not one player," Counsell said. "There are nine
players. ... You're never going to have nine guys hot at once.
We've had a pretty good chunk of our lineup swinging the bat well
at the same time for most of the year."
The Cubs didn't make a roster move Saturday, but are expected to
option infielder Tommy La Stella to Triple-A Iowa to make room for
outfielder Jason Heyward (sprained right finger) coming off the
10-day disabled list on Sunday.
In addition, right-handed reliever Dylan Floro (0-0, 2.08 ERA) is
expected to be called up from Iowa to replace right-handed reliever
Pierce Johnson (0-0, 0.00).
Rookie center fielder Ian Happ will remain in the majors for now.
He is batting .333 with two home runs and four RBIs.
"(Happ has) done a really good job at the plate, on defense,
running the bases," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Big part of it
is the fact, like a lot of our guys, he's not overwhelmed. That's
probably the most impressive part of it."
Before Saturday's game was rained out, the Cubs moved left fielder
Kyle Schwarber out of the leadoff spot. Second baseman Ben Zobrist
was instead going to hit leadoff. Schwarber was slated to bat
second for the first time this season, followed by third baseman
Kris Bryant, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and Happ.
Schwarber, who also catches, could again bat leadoff, Maddon said.
He is batting .182 with six home runs and 17 RBIs this season.
"Zo's been really good lately," Maddon said. "We gave him a couple
days off and he's come out of it real nicely, and Happ's the new
Zobrist -- he can protect Rizzo. The other component, we talked a
lot about Kyle hitting a lot of balls into the shift.
"If Zo can get on a little more often, it might move that second
baseman out of that spot. You look at Schwarber's batting average,
even Anthony's, a lot of that's impacted by the shift. Happ being
here pretty much permits me to think that way and the fact he's
done so well."
The Brewers had infielder Eric Sogard in the leadoff spot over
infielder Jonathan Villar, who is 1-for-16 on the trip.
"I anticipate eventually Jonny is going to be back in the leadoff
spot because that is where we need him," Counsell said. "Hopefully,
he will get it going and make it back there. That's where we're at
our best, with him hitting out of that spot."
