The good news for the White Sox is shortstop Tim Anderson stayed hot. The bad news is right-hander Ivan Nova was unable to cool down the Mariners.
In perhaps an appropriate end to the weekend, the Mariners beat the Sox 12-5 on Sunday to take the last two games of the three-game series. The Mariners left town having scored 29 runs and having hit 10 home runs, including two Sunday by former Cubs prospect Daniel Vogelbach, in the series.
‘‘I was telling one of the guys that we have to keep pumping each other up,’’ manager Rick Renteria said. ‘‘Don’t let this be something that deters them from the direction that we’re all trying to get to.
‘‘The reality is that it is a long season. We would have rather had a much better outcome over the last couple of days, but we haven’t. That does not deter myself or us as a club to where we believe we’re going to be moving.’’
The Sox signed Nova to eat up innings and save the bullpen, when necessary. He didn’t do that Sunday, allowing seven runs and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings. He needed 72 pitches to get seven outs and was unable to give the Sox’ bullpen a break after Lucas Giolito lasted only 4 1/3 innings Saturday.
Nova’s day ended after he yielded a three-run double to Vogelbach during the Mariners’ six-run third.
‘‘How many of those guys swung early?’’ Nova said. ‘‘A lot of foul balls, a couple of 3-2 counts and foul ball, foul ball. They had a really good game plan against me, and they executed better than what I did.’’
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Though Nova said his stuff was stronger than it was in his Sox debut last Monday in Cleveland, when he allowed one run in seven innings, the results weren’t comparable.
‘‘Our expectations are to be able to see a few more like [the one against the Indians],’’ Renteria said. ‘‘I’m sure that over the course of the season we will. He’ll be able to eat up innings. Hopefully that’s one of the rough ones that he had for us here. Hopefully those are few and far between.’’
Whatever happens, the Sox hope they continue getting what they are getting from Anderson, who had four hits and raised his average to .560 (14-for-25) to begin the season. Sunday was also his fourth consecutive multihit game, tying a career high.
Last Monday, Anderson and wife Bria welcomed daughter Paxton Carter more than three weeks prematurely. On Saturday, Bria tweeted that Anderson ‘‘has been sleeping on the most uncomfortable twin-size couch in the hospital since MONDAY & is still knocking bonkers out of the park’’ and that the family will need to bring the couch home.
Anderson agreed.
‘‘I need to tell St. James [Hospital] to send me that couch; I need it,’’ he said. ‘‘But I’m understanding the game more, staying inside the baseball a lot more. I feel real good at the plate. I feel real comfortable, a lot of confidence.’’
While Anderson won’t keep hitting at a .560 clip, Renteria recognizes he’s finding his timing and seeing the ball well.
‘‘I’m glad it’s starting to happen a little bit for him now,’’ Renteria said. ‘‘You can’t expect those kind of days every day. That’s impossible. You can certainly see he’s having really solid approaches right now and getting the barrel to the ball as well as we’ve seen him in a while.’’
