Major League Baseball

Ichiro, M's edge ChiSox in extras

Published Sep. 18, 2009 5:16 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Manager Ozzie Guillen was at a loss for words after the Chicago White Sox's latest loss. And he rarely is ever at a loss for words.

With an opportunity to improve their slim shot of catching the Tigers in the AL Central on Thursday night, the White Sox blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning then lost 4-3 in 14 innings to the Seattle Mariners on Ichiro Suzuki's game-ending single.

"Go on and ask (the players)," Guillen said. "I don't have any more quotes. Seriously, what am I going to say?"

Jose Lopez and Bill Hall each homered off White Sox closer Bobby Jenks in the ninth to tie it. Chicago, third in the division, trails Detroit by 6 1/2 games and Minnesota by 4 with 15 games to play. Detroit lost to the Royals 9-2.

With one out in the 14th, Ryan Langerhans singled to center off Scott Linebrink (3-7). Pinch-hitter Kenji Johjima was hit by a pitch then Suzuki hit his 205th hit of the season, scoring Langerhans.

As he rounded first base, the Mariners spilled out of the dugout and chased the star right fielder all the way into the outfield.

"If we don't win games, it doesn't matter what we tell ourselves," White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "There were a couple of games on this trip we should have won and we didn't."

The Mariners seventh reliever, Shawn Kelley (5-3), pitched two hitless innings.

"The story for me was 8 1-3 shutout innings for the bullpen," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. "Thank God it was September. We had some arms down there. But they did a phenomenal job."

The Mariners rally cost John Danks a victory. The left-hander pitched eight strong innings for the White Sox, allowing just four hits and a run.

Mariners starter Brandon Morrow was not nearly as sharp and his latest outing also raised some concerns about where he'll fit in with the team in 2010.

Morrow again struggled with his control, walking a career-high six in 5 2-3 innings. The Mariners' 2006 first-round pick gave up three runs - two earned - but failed to live up to his manager's insistence that he pitch deeper in games.

Before the game, Don Wakamatsu intimated Morrow could be pitching for his future. The team has been unimpressed with the right-hander's approach, mostly his inability to throw strikes and running up high pitch counts.

"We try to find some improvement in every outing," Wakamatsu said. "If he can keep getting better, that would put him in position for next year. He's definitely a candidate, but he has to go out and prove out."

To help Morrow acclimate, Wakamatsu even started his batterymate at Triple-A Tacoma, Adam Moore, who was making his major league debut.

"He's going to remember this one," Wakamatsu said of Moore's debut.

Morrow had control problems from the start. He walked the leadoff hitter, Scott Podsednik, and then gave up a sharp single to Gordon Beckham. A sacrifice fly from A.J. Pierzynski drew rumblings from the crowd, and gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead. They would add the next two on RBI singles from Mark Kotsay in the third and fifth.

The Mariners scored their first run in the seventh on a homer by Adrian Beltre.

Notes

The White Sox likely will skip Gavin Floyd's next start. The right-hander left Wednesday's start after just three innings because of soreness in his hip. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said Floyd will be shut down for the season if the pain doesn't subside. "I think the main thing for us, we have to keep this guy healthy for the future," Guillen said. ... Seattle sent catcher Jamie Burke to the Washington Nationals for cash. The 37-year-old Burke is a career .282 hitter with three home runs and 38 RBIs in 184 games over seven seasons. He played in 13 games with Seattle this season.

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball