Mariners taste defeat for 52nd time

CHICAGO — Carlos Lee is starting to find his power stroke just in time for the Chicago White Sox.

Lee homered twice and drove in five runs, and Jon Garland pitched seven solid innings to lead Chicago over the slumping Seattle Mariners 6-2 Friday night.

With slugger Frank Thomas headed to the disabled list, the White Sox need some big hits from Lee — and he’s beginning to deliver. Lee has three homers in two games and has hit four of his nine home runs in the last week.

“I had a great approach going the other way, but I couldn’t get to the inside pitch as well. Now that I got it I just have to keep on working on it,” Lee said. “Just don’t try to do too much, swing at strikes and let the bat do it.”

The Mariners have lost a season-high seven straight games. At 32-52, Seattle is 20 games below .500 for the first time since Aug. 5, 1994. They’ve also lost 10 straight on the road.

Magglio Ordonez went 2 for 4 with an RBI for Chicago in his first game since coming off the disabled list. The All-Star slugger missed 36 games after tearing cartilage in his left knee.

“Not too many players come out like that on live pitching,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. “Hopefully, he can continue to do that and make my lineup stronger.”

The White Sox learned before the game they will lose Thomas to an injury. Chicago plans to put Thomas on the 15-day disabled list today because of inflammation in his left ankle.

Garland (7-5) allowed just one run and four hits. He struck out three and walked two. Damaso Marte and Shingo Takatsu finished the seven-hitter.

Ordonez didn’t waste any time making an impact for the White Sox, putting them ahead with an RBI double in the third inning. Lee followed with a two-run homer to left for a 3-0 lead.

Joel Pineiro gave up back-to-back singles to Aaron Rowand and Ordonez in the seventh. Lee then hit a three-run homer into the left-field stands.

“I’ve got no excuses. I felt great until two outs in the seventh inning,” Pineiro said. “I knew I had to throw a good pitch to get out of that inning and it’s a 3-1 ballgame. It’s tough.”

Pineiro (4-10) pitched seven innings, allowing six runs and nine hits. He struck out seven and walked one.

Seattle’s seven-game losing streak is its longest since dropping eight straight Aug. 8-20, 2000.

Jolbert Cabrera touched up Garland in the fifth with a solo homer. Randy Winn homered off Marte in the eighth.