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White Sox looking for better results in second half

Like it or not, the White Sox were back playing baseball Friday night.

There wasn't much to like in the first half of the season, when the Sox posted the third-worst record (33-62) in baseball and had a minus-126 run differential.

"I wouldn't say that the first half was bad because it's just a part of the process," said Jose Abreu, the White Sox's lone all-star. "We have a lot of young players here with a lot of talent and they need to learn, they need to improve, they need to show what they are capable of.

"I think in the first half, we did a little bit of that. The second half is going to be a much better half for us. It's just part of the process."

Coming out of the break with a West Coast road trip, the Sox fell to the Seattle Mariners 3-1 in on Friday night at Safeco Field.

Daniel Palka gave the Sox the early lead with an RBI double in the first inning before Nelson Cruz tied the score in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly off James Shields.

Ryon Healy's run-scoring groundout in the fourth inning gave the Mariners the lead.

Reliever Alex Colome finished off a scoreless eighth, and Cruz singled in a run in the bottom of that inning to give Seattle a 2 -run lead.

Mariners closer Edwin Diaz, pitching for the first time since blowing a save but getting the win for the American League in the All-Star Game, pitched a scoreless ninth for his league-leading 37th save.

Wade LeBlanc (6-1) gave the Mariners 7⅓ strong innings in the team's first game after the All-Star break.

Shields pitched well for the Sox, but fell to 4-11.

While the Sox might continue subtracting veteran players like Abreu, Shields and Joakim Soria before the July 31 nonwaiver deadline, there are reasons for optimism in the second half.

There was one roster move Friday - left fielder Nicky Delmonico came off the disabled list after missing two months with a fractured finger. He replaced Charlie Tilson, who was optioned to Class AAA Charlotte Thursday.

More roster moves are coming in the not too distant future, and two of them are likely to add top prospects Eloy Jimenez and Michael Kopech to the White Sox's roster.

Injuries have been the only thing holding Jimenez back. The 21-year-old outfielder didn't join Class AA Birmingham until April 19 after suffering a pectoral injury late in spring training.

An adductor strain sidelined Jimenez for two weeks earlier this month, but he is back doing big damage at Charlotte.

In Friday night's 6-5 win over Indianapolis, the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder was 3-for-5 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI.

Since coming off the disabled list Sunday, Jimenez is 10-for-28 with 3 homers and 6 RBI. For the season, Jimenez is batting .318/.370/.566 in 71 games with Birmingham and Charlotte.

Kopech has had some forgettable starts with Charlotte this season, but he showed why he's regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in the game over his last two outings, allowing 2 earned runs in 12 innings while striking out 20 and issuing only 2 walks.

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