White Sox: Lucas Giolito (5-7) is 2-3 with a 6.81 ERA in his last seven starts. He has allowed five runs or more three times.

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout entered his team’s three-game series in Seattle mired in a 2-for-19 slump with no extra-base hits http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey , no RBIs and seven strikeouts in his previous five games.

Consider that mini-slump a thing of the past.

Trout has homered twice in each of the first two games of the series heading into the finale Wednesday afternoon. That has boosted his major league-leading total to 23 for the season.

He also made a leaping catch at the wall in right-center field Tuesday night to rob the Mariners‘ Nelson Cruz of extra bases.

“They have a pretty good player on their team and you saw that again tonight,” Mariners manager Scott Servais deadpanned. “Mr. Trout is giving me and our pitching coach (headaches). He’s really tough to pitch to. Some of the pitches (Tuesday) were where you want to throw them.”

An injury nearly interrupted Trout’s power surge.

After homering in the first inning Monday, Trout fouled a ball off his left shin in his next at-bat. X-rays proved negative and he remained in the game to hit another ball over the wall at Safeco Field.

“It’s all right. Sore,” Trout told MLB.com after Monday’s game. “We got precautionary X-rays, but there wasn’t a break or anything like that, so that’s always good news. It just hit me in a good spot, missed the (shin) guard. It happens. Obviously, it’s going to be sore once the adrenaline from the game stops. It just went numb for a little bit. Just got to monitor it, keep icing it and get the swelling out.”

Remarkably, Trout’s four homers over the past two nights haven’t translated into victories.

Cruz homered twice Monday as the Mariners won the opener 5-3 http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/gardner-minshew-ii-jersey , and Mitch Haniger and Ryon Healy both hit homers in Tuesday’s 6-3 victory for the home team.

“We’re not swinging the bats as a team,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “It puts our pitchers under a lot of pressure to make pitches. And any mistakes we had (Tuesday) they hit out of the park. Give those guys some credit, but one guy can’t carry you. Mike is swinging the bat very well, but we need some other guys to step up.”

The task of keeping Trout in the ballpark on Wednesday falls to Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales (7-3, 3.28 ERA), who has allowed just three earned runs over his past five starts.

Gonzales doesn’t have a decision in three career starts against Los Angeles with a 4.40 ERA. He pitched six innings against the Angels on May 5, allowing four runs on nine hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in a game the Mariners won 9-8 in 11 innings.

The Angels will counter with right-hander Garrett Richards (4-4, 3.26), who hasn’t won since beating the Mariners 5-0 on May 4 when he allowed just four hits in 6 2/3 innings with one walk and eight strikeouts.

Since then, Richards is 0-3 despite giving up no more than three earned runs in any of his six starts.

Richards is 6-4 with a 2.91 ERA in 19 career appearances against the Mariners http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/darrell-henderson-jersey , including 11 starts.

All the Reds needed was one misstep by the White Sox to pull out another comeback win, with Alex Blandino delivering the final hit.

Blandino’s double in the eighth inning completed Cincinnati’s four-run rally for a 5-3 victory Monday night. Chicago returned to Great American Ball Park for the first time since 2009 and let one slip away with the help of a misplay that changed everything.

”If we secure one out either way … ” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said.

The Reds loaded the bases with one out against Chris Volstad (1-5). Adam Duvall grounded to first baseman Matt Davidson, who was indecisive and wound up failing to get an out.

Davidson intended to step on first and then throw home. He took several steps toward the base and changed his plan, throwing to the plate without stepping on first – too late to get Scooter Gennett sprinting in to score.

”I kind of just rushed myself and made a mistake and didn’t touch the base and threw home,” Davidson said. ”I looked up and saw the runner and forgot about touching first. I just messed up there.”

Billy Hamilton followed with a sacrifice fly that tied it at 3, and Blandino’s pinch-hit double put the Reds in position for another comeback win. They’ve trailed in seven of their last 10 victories.

Blandino has learned to pinch-hit this season. He is 7 for 21 off the bench with four RBIs.

”Pinch-hitting is something I’ve been working on since spring training,” he said. ”This is my first time coming off the bench. You’re facing the back end of the bullpen. You just try to stay on their best pitch and battle.”

Dylan Floro (3-2) retired two in the eighth. Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances.

Until Chicago’s bullpen melted down, James Shields was in position to get his first road win since opening day. Chicago has scored three runs or less behind him in 14 of his last 16 starts.

”We were the ballgame all the way up to the end there,” Shields said. ”Unfortunately, we made a couple mistakes there at the end.”

Scott Schebler connected on Shields’ first pitch of the game http://www.minnesotavikingsteamonline.com/irv-smith-jr.-jersey , but he allowed only three more hits while going 6 2/3 innings.

The White Sox pulled ahead 2-1 in the seventh when Yoan Moncada doubled home the tying run and came around on Yolmer Sanchez’s single. Avisail Garcia added his fifth homer in the eighth. Garcia extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games.

Chicago’s Jose Abreu went 0 for 3, ending his 19-game hitting streak in interleague play – one shy of Paul Konerko’s club record. Abreu fouled a ball off the inside of his left ankle in the sixth inning and left for a pinch hitter in the seventh.

INTERLEAGUE

The White Sox are 3-10 in interleague play this season. The Reds are 7-1 and have won six straight, their best streak in interleague play.

SERIES STUFF

The White Sox have dominated the series with the Reds, going 16-5. They’ve won 10 of the 13 games in Cincinnati.

RIGGLEMAN’S RECORD

The Reds improved to 34-33 under interim manager Jim Riggleman, who took over on April 19 when Bryan Price was fired after a 3-15 start.

ROAD WOES

Shields won Chicago’s season opener at Kansas City and hasn’t won on the road since then, largely because of the lack of run support. He’s 1-4 on the road this season.

REDS DEAL

The Reds acquired minor league outfielder Lorenzo Cedrola from the Red Sox in exchange for international signing bonus space.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: CF Leury Garcia was out of the lineup a day after he left a game with a jammed finger on his left hand. Renteria said Garcia was available to pinch-hit.

Reds: Homer Bailey makes his fourth rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday. In three starts, he has allowed 22 hits and 15 earned runs in 16 innings.

UP NEXT

White Sox: Lucas Giolito (5-7) is 2-3 with a 6.81 ERA in his last seven starts. He has allowed five runs or more three times.

Reds: Anthony DeSclafani (3-1) makes his sixth start since returning from a strained oblique. He has never faced the White Sox.

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