Danks Throws 6 Shutout Innings, White Sox Stop Padres 6-1
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Dioner Navarro tipped John Danks off to a problem. Since then, the Chicago White Sox left-hander has done just fine.
Danks threw six shutout innings for his second consecutive scoreless outing, and Avisail Garcia homered to help the White Sox defeat the San Diego Padres 6-1 on Wednesday.
Navarro, signed in the offseason to bolster Chicago's catching corps, told Danks that he was tipping his pitches.
"He told me exactly what I was doing. We fixed it and it hasn't been an issue since," Danks said.
The well-traveled Navarro has a .423 average (11 for 26) with three homers in his career against Danks. But he said he just noticed the pitch-tipping a couple of starts ago.
"That's my job, as a catcher, to get to know my guys and try to help them out as much as I can," Navarro said. "It makes me a little proud that he took notice and worked on it."
Garcia's homer was his third in the Cactus League. He also drove in another run in the fifth and has 14 RBIs this spring.
David Robertson threw a clean seventh for Chicago, striking out one. The Padres' Fernando Rodney allowed two runs in a seventh inning that included three hits, a wild pitch and a balk.
Non-roster shortstop Tim Anderson, the White Sox's No. 1 pick in 2013, doubled in a run in the eighth.
STARTING TIME
Padres: Drew Pomeranz, in his first start of the spring, gave up just one hit — Garcia's home run. The left-hander pitched four innings. He walked one, hit a batter and struck out four.
He's in the mix for a rotation spot. Pomeranz made nine starts with Oakland last season, but appeared in a career-high 53 games last season.
White Sox: Danks, coming off five scoreless innings against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out six.
"I'm definitely feeling ready for the season to start. Ready to play some games that count," the lefty said.
"I'm just trying to go out and get better, that's all I'm focused on right now," he said.
MLBPA VISIT
MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark spoke with the White Sox on Wednesday morning as part of his regular tour of spring training camps.
Clark said the players union has been monitoring the situation surrounding Adam LaRoche. When asked if a grievance had been filed, Clark said, "Even if there was, I wouldn't suggest to you that there had been."
LaRoche retired last week, saying he'd rather do that than limit the amount of time his 14-year-old son spent in the clubhouse.
Clark just returned from Havana where the Tampa Bay Rays played the Cuban national team on Tuesday. He talked to White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu on Wednesday; the two were part of a United States delegation that traveled to Cuba in December.
"Jose's as good as they get," Clark said. "To see the respect and admiration he has for Cuba, and Cuba for him, our game is better for Jose being here."
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: Abreu fouled a pitch off his foot in Tuesday's game, but manager Robin Ventura said Wednesday was already a scheduled day off for the first baseman.
NEXT
Padres: Colin Rea gets the start against the Diamondbacks Thursday in Peoria.
White Sox: Chris Sale makes his second Cactus League start against the Angels in Glendale.
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