Mariners Ride Griffey To Win Junior Goes Deep As Seattle Knocks Off White Sox 6-5

Pitching to Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox is tough enough. Pitching to Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners is worse, according to Seattle teammate Tim Davis.

“I’m just happy I don’t have to pitch to him (Griffey),” Davis said Saturday night.

Griffey homered and the Mariners, after losing nine of 10 to Chicago last season, beat the White Sox for the second straight game, 6-5.

The victory moved Seattle into first place in the A.L. West, a halfgame ahead of California.

The Mariners provided Davis (2-0) enough support to beat Seattle killer Alex Fernandez (1-2). Fernandez, the No. 1 White Sox starter with the trade of Jack McDowell to the New York Yankees, took a 7-1 career record against the Mariners into the game.

Griffey, hitting .192 in his career against Fernandez, homered off the right-hander in the third inning, a 409-foot solo shot to right field, for a 3-0 Seattle lead.

“I don’t look at the stats. I just do what I do,” Griffey said.

Griffey’s fourth homer of the season was his first in a week. Griffey led the A.L. with 40 homers last season.

His teammates were waiting for the inevitable.

“You’re not going to hold him back too long,” Davis said. “He’s going to get his home runs.”

While Griffey hurt the White Sox, Thomas didn’t hurt the Mariners. He was 0-for-2.

Davis pitched five solid innings, giving up three runs on four hits and two walks.

The M’s went ahead 6-3 with three runs in the fourth. Jay Buhner had a two-run single and Martinez added an RBI single.