CHICAGO — Alex Rios hit a
game-ending two-run homer in the ninth after Paul Konerko homered, and
the Chicago White Sox overcame a controversial call that led to two runs
in the top half of the inning to beat the Seattle Mariners 5-4
on Saturday.
Trailing 4-2 in the ninth with one
out, Konerko hit a solo home run off Mariners closer David Aardsma
(0-1). With two outs, Carlos Quentin walked, then a day after Andruw
Jones hit a game-ending home run, Rios hit a 1-1 pitch into the
left-field bleachers to win the game.
In the top of the inning, Casey Kotchman hit a two-run ground-rule double to give the Mariners a two-run lead.
With two outs in the eighth inning,
Jose Lopez single off White Sox closer Bobby Jenks after a walk to Ken
Griffey Jr. Kotchman then lined a double down the right-field line and
a fan picked up the ball and dropped it back on the field.
First base umpire Gary Cederstrom
declared the play dead as Lopez scored from first, but the umpiring
crew allowed Jack Wilson, who was pinch running for Griffey, to score
from first to give Seattle a 4-2 lead.
Ozzie Guillen argued with third base umpire Fieldin Culbreth to no avail and was ejected.
Jenks (1-0) got his first win after pitching the ninth.
Mariners starter Doug Fister allowed to runs while scattering eight hits. He struck out four and walked one.
Franklin Gutierrez homered for the Mariners, who lost their second straight game.
With two outs in the fifth, Rios
singled off Fister. After Rios stole second, Mark Teahen hit a single
to right. With Ichiro Suzuki's strong arm in right, Rios was held up at
third base. Ramirez followed with a long fly to left. Seattle
outfielder Eric Byrnes propped up against the wall and the ball
deflected off his mitt. The ball bounced off the top of fence and came
back into the playing field.
Rios scored and Teahen scored from
first to give the White Sox a 2-1 lead. Ramirez wound up at second base
with his third double of the season.
Guillen briefly questioned the call,
but went back to the dugout after he got an explanation from Culbreth
and no replay was necessary.
The Mariners came back in the seventh inning on Lopez's double off Freddy Garcia.
Garcia pitched seven innings and allowed two runs and two hits.
The White Sox pushed Garcia back two
extra days after only lasting one inning in a loss to Cleveland on
April 18. He allowed seven runs on six hits in that one.
After retiring the first 11 batters
he faced, Garcia was tagged by Gutierrez with a home run to left-center
in the fourth. It was Gutierrez's first of the season.
Notes
Wilson was out of Saturday's
starting lineup with an injured right thumb that he sustained while
fielding a groundball on Friday. Manager Don Wakamatsu was encouraged
by the lack of swelling in Wilson's thumb and said he could hopefully
play on Sunday. … OF Milton Bradley (calf) is improving but he is
unlikely to play Sunday. Wakamatsu said if everything goes well Bradley
could play Monday in Kansas City. … A loud cheer erupted in the top
of the eighth inning at U.S. Cellular Field after Marian Hossa scored
the winning goal in overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 5-4 win
over the Nashville Predators in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in the first
round of the NHL playoff series.