CHICAGO _ Felix Hernandez was credited with the victory in the Mariners' 4-3 win over the White Sox on Saturday night.
But really the victory belonged to Seattle's bullpen, specifically right-handers Steve Cishek, Tony Zych, Nick Vincent and Edwin Diaz. The quartet of relievers worked four scoreless innings, preserving the one-run lead.
It wasn't without drama. Cishek and Diaz put the tying and go-ahead runs on in their innings of work. But they didn't yield. With two outs and runners on first and second, Diaz struck out Jose Abreu to end the game and notched his 15th save on the season.
Nelson Cruz gave the Mariners a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning and put Hernandez in line for the win. After Robinson Cano drew a leadoff walk against lefty Dan Jennings, the White Sox brought in right-hander Anthony Swarzak to face Cruz. The move didn't yield expected results for Chicago. Cruz hammered a 96-mph fastball on a 3-2 count over the wall in center for his 18th homer of the season.
Hernandez wasn't efficient or completely effective, but he managed to make it through five innings, giving up three runs (one earned) on six hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
It was impressive that he didn't give up more considering in two different innings the White Sox loaded the bases with no outs. Having already allowed a run in the third inning aided by Jean Segura's error at shortstop, Hernandez wiggled out of the situation without allowing another run.
In the fifth inning, Hernandez's own throwing error to first base on a comebacker started the problem. A run scored on a 6-4-3 double play, but Hernandez struck out Tyler Saladino to end the inning.
The White Sox's other run off Hernandez came on the fifth pitch of the game when leadoff hitter Melky Cabrera launched a ball into the right-field seats for a 1-0 lead. It was the first of Cabrera's three hits in the game off Hernandez.
Seattle grabbed a brief 1-0 lead off Mike Pelfrey in the second inning on Kyle Seager's solo homer to right.
