CHICAGO — Maybe it’s a coincidence. Maybe not.
Hours after getting encouraging news about fallen teammate Danny Farquhar, the White Sox celebrated with a hit parade not seen since Opening Day.
They greeted Mariners right-hander Mike Leake like this: triple, single, single, single, single, single, double. They became the first team since the 2014 Rockies to open a game with seven straight hits.
The leadoff triple came courtesy of the switch-hitting Yoan Moncada, who doubled in the second, homered in the fourth (a 413-foot laser to right-center) and then … made two outs. Needing a single to become the seventh Sox player to hit for the cycle, he got caught looking and flied out, both from the right side.
Also feasting Monday night during the Sox’s 10-4 victory: Jose Abreu, who went deep twice for his 12th career multi-homer game.
The Sox entered Monday night having lost seven straight. The Astros outscored them 27-2 in a weekend sweep, perhaps in part because Sox players were disconsolate over the condition of Farquhar, who collapsed in the team dugout Friday night after suffering a brain hemorrhage.
Of Chicago’s four victories entering Monday night, only the 14-7 opening day romp over the Royals in Kansas City was by more than one run.
Carson Fulmer breezed through six innings for his first victory of the season. Other than allowing a 428-foot home run to catcher Mike Zunino on a fastball that tailed over the plate, he was terrific, allowing only two other hits and one walk.
Fulmer took the mound with “DF #43” inscribed on his black cap in a silver ink.
But it wasn’t all good: While sprinting to first on a groundout, Avisail Garcia grabbed his right leg and limped past the bag. He stayed down for a while and needed help from trainer Herm Schneider to exit the field.
A right hamstring strain ended Garcia’s night. He will be re-evaluated Tuesday.
Garcia, who hit a career-best .330 last season, is hitting .225 with one homer this year. Trayce Thompson replaced him.
Manager Rick Renteria wanted to see which relievers would be needed Monday before committing to a starter for Tuesday. The original plan had Miguel Gonzalez starting Monday and Fulmer going Tuesday, but Gonzalez was placed on the 10-day DL with right rotator cuff inflammation.
Gonzalez is 0-3 with a 12.41 ERA, and the Sox noticed a dip in velocity in his last start.
After struggling last season with the Sox, right-hander Chris Beck said he took a blood test that revealed that “I was allergic to literally everything I was eating — dairy, yeast and garlic.”
He lost 24 pounds in the offseason and earned a promotion Monday from Triple-A Charlotte.
Beck ended a seventh-inning jam in bizarre fashion: After getting caught in a rundown, two Mariners players returned to second base. Both were ruled out on a double play that was scored 2-3-5-6 after Matt Davidson hustled to tag first baseman Daniel Vogelbach.
