Small Matters Confound Seattle Odd Bounce, Weak Rbi Single Lead White Sox In Game Dominated By Pitchers

A base that got in the way, a weak swing that produced a soft line drive into center field and a potent offense that suddenly went quiet sent the Seattle Mariners to their fourth loss in five games Wednesday night.

Good pitching and defense still stops good hitting.

“It was a helluva game by both teams and it’s unfortunate someone had to lose,” said Mariners pitcher Chris Bosio after a 2-1 loss to Wilson Alvarez and the Chicago White Sox. “Wilson pitched a great game.”

On a night runs were being scored in bundles at several American League sites - 35 in Tiger Stadium, 20 in Fenway Park, 18 in Yankee Stadium and 17 in Kauffman Stadium - the Mariners and White Sox settled into a pitching duel before 15,882 at chilly Comiskey Park. It ended with Roberto Hernandez striking out M’s pinch-hitter Paul Sorrento with the tying run on first base in the ninth inning.

Alvarez, winning for the first time this season, allowed two hits over eight innings. Bosio, losing for the first time this season, surrendered just five hits over seven innings.

Two of the weakest hits off Bosio produced runs.

Ozzie Guillen stood on second base with a leadoff double when, with one out, Ray Durham rolled a routine grounder to Seattle first baseman Ricky Jordan.

Jordan positioned himself behind the base. But the ball hit the bag and took a big bounce over Jordan’s head, resulting in Durham’s RBI single.

“I’ve seen balls hit the base before,” Jordan said, “but never bounce that high. It was just an easy ground ball and I don’t know how it bounded that high. It wasn’t exactly hit like a rocket.”

Alvarez, who has been battling elbow soreness, carried a perfect game and the 1-0 lead into the fifth. Edgar Martinez ended the perfecto bid with a leadoff single and scored the tying run when rookie shortstop Andy Sheets, making his first major league start, slapped a two-out, bases-loaded single to left field.

Jay Buhner, on second, tried to score but was nailed at the plate on a looping, but accurate, throw from Tony Phillips.

“The outfielder was playing shallow and the third-base coach (John McLaren) took a chance,” Piniella said. “It was cold and (Phillips) could have thrown it away. It didn’t work out.”

The deadlock lasted until the bottom of the seventh.

Ex-Mariner Danny Tartabull’s one-out double to left put Bosio in a bind and the runner advanced to third on a long fly to center field.

Piniella visited the mound.

“(Bosio) called me out and we discussed how we were going to pitch to (Darren) Lewis,” Piniella said.

“I pitched him the same way I did all night,” Bosio said.

With the count 2-and-2, Lewis took a weak swing and lofted the ball into shallow center field, putting the White Sox ahead to stay.

“I wouldn’t change a thing in the same situation,” Bosio said. “He hit a good pitch.”

Alvarez (1-2) and Hernandez checked an offense that has been the most productive in the league this season. The Mariners began the eight-game road trip on a tear, hitting at least one home run in each of the past 14 games, including eight in their previous two games.

They have a major league-leading 40 homers.

Ayala punches out window

Mariners reliever Bobby Ayala suffered cuts on his right pitching hand and wrist early Wednesday morning when he rammed his fist through a window in his room at the Westin Hotel.

According to a report filed with the hotel’s security office, the incident occurred at about 6 a.m., nearly 11 hours after the Mariners arrived in Chicago for a two-game series against the White Sox.

It was not immediately known how long Ayala had been in his room or exactly what set him off. A club official said Ayala, like most veteran players on the team, doesn’t have a roommate on the road.

The 26-year-old Ayala returned to Seattle Wednesday morning and wasn’t available for comment.

The cuts, which required nine stitches, are expected to sideline Ayala for one month.

White Sox 2, Mariners 1

Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Amaral lf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .184 Sojo 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .222 Griffey Jr cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .224 EMrtnz dh 4 1 1 0 0 2 .355 Buhner rf 3 0 1 0 1 1 .274 1-ADiaz pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .244 RJordan 1b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .211 a-Srrnto ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .259 DWilson c 3 0 0 0 0 1 .270 RDavis 3b 2 0 0 0 1 1 .290 Sheets ss 2 0 1 1 1 0 .250 Totals 29 1 3 1 4 8 Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Phillips lf 3 0 1 0 1 1 .299 Durham 2b 3 0 1 1 0 0 .281 FThomas 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .380 Baines dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .317 Ventura 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .222 Tartabull rf 2 1 1 0 1 1 .221 DaMrtnz rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .225 Karkovice c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .214 DLewis cf 3 0 1 1 0 0 .238 Guillen ss 2 1 1 0 1 0 .231 Totals 28 2 7 2 3 4 Seattle 000 010 000 - 1 3 0 Chicago 001 000 10x - 2 7 0 a-struck out for Jordan in the 9th.

1-ran for Buhner in the 9th.

LOBSeattle 5, Chicago 6. 2B-Tartabull (5), Guillen (7). RBIsSheets (1), Durham (10), DLewis (4). CS-Guillen (2). GIDPFThomas 2.

Runners left in scoring position-Seattle 1 (EMartinez); Chicago 2 (Baines, Ventura).

Runners moved up-Sojo, RJordan, Karkovice.

DP-Seattle 2 (Bosio, Sojo and RJordan), (Sheets, Sojo and RJordan).

Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Bosio L, 2-1 7 5 2 2 3 3 89 4.15 TDavis 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 13 5.40 MJackson 0 2 0 0 0 0 7 2.45 Charlton 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 3 3.68 Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Alvarez W, 1-2 8 2 1 1 4 6 113 3.45 RHernandez S, 6 1 1 0 0 0 2 13 0.00 MJackson pitched to 2 batters in the 8th.

Inherited runners-scored-Charlton 2-0.

IBBoff Alvarez (RDavis) 1. HBPby Bosio (Durham).

Umpires-Home, McKean; First, Hendry; Second, Hirschbeck; Third, Joyce.

T-2:33. A-15,882 (44,321).