me. Twenty percent of his shots at the US Open have been winne

CHICAGO -- Felix Hernandez was so excited to face Chris Sale he loaded up on caffeine before the game and briefly got dizzy.King Felix needed the extra energy to beat the dominant White Sox ace.Sale struck out 14 but got outpitched by Hernandez and the Seattle bullpen, and the Mariners ended a three-game skid Friday night by beating Chicago 3-1.Hernandez (9-4) improved to 5-0 in eight starts since returning from the disabled list, throwing 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball.But he said he was scared as he was attended to before the third inning.Everything went black. I couldnt feel my legs and I was a little dizzy, Hernandez said. I had a few Red Bulls and that was probably what it was.Sale (15-7) gave up five hits and walked none in his fifth complete game of the season. He retired the final 16 batters, striking out 10 of them.I guess it looks good on paper but you want to come out on top in a game like that, no doubt, Sale said.I think we definitely had a good matchup tonight. Its what people came to see and the wrong team came out on top, it depends on who you ask, I guess. Sometimes you run into people like that, he said.Sale struck out six straight in the sixth and seventh innings, one shy of Joe Cowleys team record.Franklin Gutierrez hit a solo home run in the second and Adam Lind added an RBI double off in the fourth off Sale.Thank God we did it early because as everybody saw, when he gets on a roll its like lights out, Mariners manager Scott Servais said of Sale. Hes obviously one of the best pitchers in the league for a reason. We had no chance, really, after the fourth and fifth inning.Todd Fraziers 32nd home run in the seventh was one of eight hits off Hernandez until he left with the bases loaded.Edwin Diaz entered and earned a five-out save by getting some help.Third baseman Shawn OMalley, filling in for the injured Kyle Seager, threw home for a force play on Tim Andersons slow roller before Jose Abreu popped out.Diaz struck out the side in the ninth for his 11th save in as many tries.I got like four days off and I was a starter before, Diaz said of the extra work with Seattles short bullpen. I got the starters mentality sometimes.Hernandez, a six-time All-Star, entered leading the AL in ERA (2.95) since 2012. Sale, a five-time All-Star, was tops in that period in strikeouts (1,065).Sale started for the AL in the All-Star Game this year after Hernandez did in 2015.Gutierrez sent Sales 97 mph fastball into the seats in right-center in the second and the Mariners added another run on a double play in the third.Nelson Cruz singled and scored on Linds double in the fourth.The White Sox hit into two double plays and had two players picked off first, helping to waste Sales big night against Hernandez.You run into a guy like that, hes special Theres no doubt about it, Sale said. I mean, his nicknames the King. That doesnt fall on too many people. You pick yourself up and move on.TRAINERS ROOMMariners: Seager (foot) missed a third straight game, but said he was definitely getting better and was expected back Saturday. Servais said when Seager returns theyll switch out a position player for a 12th pitcher. We do need the extra arm, Servais said. You cant carry what were carrying right now for too many days.White Sox: C Alex Avila (hamstring) was activated off the disabled list as C Dioner Navarro was traded to Toronto. . LF Melky Cabrera (sick) missed a second straight game. It looks like hell be fine for tomorrow, manager Robin Ventura said.WATER BALLOONSThe Mariners conducted a pregame contest where three players used a sling shot to launch a water balloon across the outfield as another player attempted to catch it without it bursting. Its part of the Ms Olympics that includes medals and a victory stand.I thought the emotional outburst from Adam Lind was tremendous, Servais said.UP NEXTChicagos Jose Quintana (10-9), holder of the ALs third-best ERA at 2.84, faces fellow LHP Ariel Miranda (1-0, 5.49) on Saturday night. Ian McCoshen Jersey . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. Mike Hoffman Panthers Jersey . Their experience showed Tuesday as the No. 10 Badgers blunted a Saint Louis surge to win 63-57 and advance to face West Virginia in Wednesdays finals of the Cancun Challenge. http://www.hockeypanthersofficialonline.com/denis-malgin-hockey-jersey/ . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. Aaron Ekblad Panthers Jersey . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Jonathan Huberdeau Jersey . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play. NEW YORK -- It seems surreal, but this US Open is the first Grand Slam since the 2004 French Open that doesnt have either Roger Federer, Andy Murray or Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. Top seed Novak Djokovic is the only representative of the Big Four left in the singles. That seems to put him back on track to win his third major of 2016. Or does it? Heres what you need to know:Mens semifinals breakdownNo. 1 Novak Djokovic versus No. 10 Gael Monfils,?12:30 AM IST (Saturday, Sep 10)Case for Djokovic: The Serbian star came into this tournament hoping that his injured wrist and an unspecified right-arm problem wouldnt wreck his chances over the course of a punishing two-week major played under grueling late-summer conditions. He ominously hinted that he was hoping just to get through the beginning of the event and take his chances from there. But the tennis gods must look upon Djokovic with great favor, because its almost as if he couldnt help making it into the semis. He has played just nine-plus sets, benefiting from a walkover and two retirements. Hes hit enough balls under fire to be seasoned, but his wrist and arm have been spared and given extra recovery time. This much luck must make him confident as well. And to top it off, while Monfils was Djokovics feared junior rival, Novak is 12-0 in their pro matches.Case for Monfils: The whippet-lean Frenchman won the most significant singles title of his career a few weeks ago in Washington, D.C. For a player of his talent, that simply isnt an adequate career best. Monfils seems to know it, too. Hes been playing this summer with a new and uncharacteristic sense of purpose. Hes won 19 straight sets on hard courts since losing to Kei Nishikori (after holding a match point) at the Rio Olympics. Monfils must continue to play aggressive, first-strike tennis and serve with gusto. He must also avoid challenging Djokovic to rallying contests -- even if they give Monfils great opportunities to show off his spectacular retrieving abilities.dddddddddddd.Prediction: Djokovic in fourNo. 3 Stan Wawrinka versus No. 6 Kei Nishikori, after Djokovic-MonfilsCase for Wawrinka: After surviving a scare in the third round versus Dan Evans, Wawrinka thanked the crowd for believing in me sometimes more than I believe in myself. The reality is that the pundits and camp followers often overlook him in their focus on the Big Four, even though hes won the same amount of majors as Nadal and Andy Murray since the start of 2014 (two). Nobody, but nobody, is more dangerous than when Wawrinka is at the top of his game. Twenty percent of his shots at the US Open have been winners; thats tied for eighth-best in the tournament, and only one other semifinalist can match him. Wawrinka will likely try to smother Nishikori and keep him from turning the match into a track meet. Wawrinka leads this rivalry 3-2.Case for Nishikori: The conventional wisdom casts Nishikori as a baseline grinder. Its a deceptive oversimplification. This years youngest Open semifinalist at 26, Nishikori doesnt have enough pop on his serve to build a conventional attacking game. Instead, he uses his quickness and mastery of angles to open up the court and force an error or win a point outright. Thats why he, not the spectacular Monfils or the precise Djokovic, is one of three men tied with Wawrinka in the winners stats department in New York. This match will be loaded with David vs. Goliath overtones. Nishikoris game plan will be to get one more ball back, thereby increasing his chances to wear down Wawrinka and/or tease out an error.Prediction: Wawrinka in three ' ' '