J.P. Crawford reached third for the Seattle Mariners with no outs in the third inning Monday at T-Mobile Park.
Chicago White Sox starter Carlos Rodon made sure Crawford stayed right there.
Rodon struck out Mitch Haniger for the first out. Ty France hit a fly ball to shallow center field, which Luis Robert caught for the second out. Rodon then struck out Kyle Seager to get out of the jam without allowing a run.
Rodon allowed two hits, struck out nine and walked three in five innings Monday, helping the Sox to a 6-0 victory against the Mariners.
Rodon had a strong spring training, earning the fifth spot in the rotation. The success continued in his first outing of the regular season. He executed the big pitch when he had to.
He walked the bases loaded with one out in the fourth. Sam Haggerty tapped a grounder to third and Yoan Moncada threw home for a forceout. Rodon then struck out Crawford for the third out.
Rodon hit a batter with one out in the fifth. Andrew Vaughn made two nice catches and received a hug from the starting pitcher in the dugout.
Rodon, Michael Kopech and Jose Ruiz combined to strike out 15 and limit the Mariners to three hits. Kopech struck out five in two relief innings while Ruiz had one strikeout in two innings.
Yasmani Grandal and Yermin Mercedes led the way offensively. Grandal went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.
Mercedes, named the American League Player of the Week on Monday, went 3-for-4 with two runs and a walk. His 12 hits this season are the most by any player in the modern era (since 1900) over his first four career starts, according to STATS. Mercedes is also the first player with three-plus hits in a game three times in his first four starts since Roy Campanella in 1948.
Andrew Vaughn collected his first career RBI when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Billy Hamilton had a single and one RBI.
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