Major League Baseball

Wedge not happy with Mariners effort

Published May. 8, 2011 10:44 p.m. ET

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After starting the season with wins in just four of their first 15 games, the Seattle Mariners climbed to within one game of .500 over the weekend.

Then they lost two straight to the bumbling Chicago White Sox - including a 5-2 decision in 10 innings Sunday.

''To a man offensively, we have to find a way to get better,'' Manager Eric Wedge said in a strong tone. ''We're not going to go all year scoring two or three runs a game. That sure ... is not going to happen. We've got to get better to a man at squaring up the baseball and doing a better job.''

The Mariners had nine hits and two runs Sunday. They scratched out just three hits in a 6-0 loss Saturday.

The Mariners are last in the league in hitting at .229 and have hit just one home run in their last nine games.

Paul Konerko highlighted the White Sox offense with a career high with five hits, including a single in the 10th. He raised his batting average from .295 to .323.

''Paul is about as professional a hitter as you are going to see. He knows the situation and what he is trying to do and he does a good job with it,'' said Wedge, who saw regularly Konerko in the AL Central when he was Cleveland's manager

Alexei Ramirez drove in the go-ahead run in the three-run 10th with a double to the left-center.

Brent Morel opened the 10th with a single to left off closer Brandon League (0-1), who was working more than one inning for the first time this season. Juan Pierre bunted Morel to second before Ramirez hit a 1-0 fastball.

Adam Dunn followed with a hard RBI double into the right-field corner and Alex Rios finished it with a RBI single.

The White Sox took two of three from the Mariners. It's their first series win since a 3-1 edge over Tampa April 7-10.

Seattle is now 3-1-1 in its last five series.

Milton Bradley, Miguel Olivo and Brendan Ryan each had two hits.

Mark Buehrle worked eight innings for the White Sox. He allowed two runs on nine hits.

''We were aggressive but we needed to be aggressive,'' Wedge said. ''I've seen that guy a lot over the years. He did a good job mixing that changeup and cutter in. That's what he does.''

Sergio Santos (1-0) earned his first decision with two innings of hitless relief. He has yet to allow a run in 12 appearances

''I'm not trying to do too much,'' said Santos, who has stabilized the Sox closer role, ''just throw strikes and let the defense work.''

Eric Bedard allowed struck out nine and allowed two runs on five hits in five innings.

The Sox scored two off Bedard in the fourth. With one out, Konerko doubled off the left-center wall and later scored when Ramon Castro singled to left and Bradley's erratic throw forced catcher Olivo to chase the ball toward the dugout.

Then it bounced off his glove. Rios, seeing the plate uncovered, slid home for another run.

''Someone has to stay home there,'' Wedge said. ''They just both went after the ball.''

Bedard added, ''I didn't know if I should get it or he was going to go get it so I just stayed at the plate and he went to get it. He thought he could get him at home. We just didn't get him.''

The Mariners tied it with two in the fifth on Ryan's RBI single that ended Buehrle's 17-inning scoreless streak and Ichiro Suzuki's fly to center.

The Mariners had two odd plays that probably cost them. Suzuki was hit in the foot by a batted ball while he tried for second on a hit-and-run in the fourth.

In the seventh, Ryan ripped a ball past third base but umpire Mark Wegner was hit in the left leg when he jumped to avoid it. That prevented Ryan from easily getting into scoring position.

''It goes without saying we have to continue to grind, to put up better at-bats,'' Wedge said, ''to find a way to score runs. We have to find a way to win that game so it doesn't go into extra innings.''

Notes: Mariners RHP Shawn Kelley, coming back from right elbow tendon transplant surgery, attempted a simulated game but was stopped after one of two planned innings. He threw 15 pitches. ''We decided it was enough,'' Wedge said. ''I think he's fine. We did not want to press it. He's so close to going on rehab. He'll catch a couple days then have another sim game in Baltimore.'' ... Chone Figgins, who fouled a ball off his knee, was scratched from the lineup. ... Konerko, who had X-rays taken of his wrist after Saturday's game, said, ''We can't identify what it is but it's nothing serious, just something that's nagging.''

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