MLB: Seattle 4, Chi. White Sox 1

SEATTLE, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Ryan Rowland-Smith took a shutout into the eighth inning Wednesday, helping Seattle reduce Chicago's playoff hopes with a 4-1 win over the White Sox.

Rowland-Smith (4-3) allowed nine hits, but gave up only one run in eight innings. Chicago's lone score came on Gordon Beckham's one-out homer in the eighth.

David Aardsma pitched the ninth for his 34th save.

The White Sox fell 6 1/2 games behind Detroit in the American League Central and are two games behind Minnesota for second place in the division.

Seattle scored twice in the first inning on a lead-off double by Ichiro Suzuki, an RBI double by Jose Lopez and a run-scoring single from Adrian Beltre.

Ryan Langerhans added a sacrifice fly in the second and Mike Carp hit the first homer of his major league career in the fourth. The home run came in Carp's 34th at-bat since being called up from the minors this month.

Gavin Floyd (11-11) took the loss, giving up three runs on four hits in three innings.