Garland blooms against M’s

CHICAGO – Inching toward history one out at a time, Jon Garland and the Chicago White Sox learned something Friday about the Seattle Mariners. A journeyman right-hander, Garland took a perfect game into the seventh inning, then watched as Seattle ruined that, then his shutout and – two outs into the ninth – nearly stole his victory.

Chicago hung on to win 6-4, doing so with the potential tying run at second base and manager Ozzie Guillen’s heart in his throat.

“Tough team, tough win,” Guillen said afterward.

He was talking about the Mariners as much as the White Sox.

“I’m proud of the way we fought back, the way this team battles,” said Bret Boone, who drove in all four of Seattle’s runs. “We didn’t quite get there, but we came back.”

Seattle manager Mike Hargrove watched his team play without the benefit of a baserunner through the first six innings, while his starting pitcher – Joel Pineiro – struggled in his first game of the season.

As Garland set down the first 19 Mariners he faced, Pineiro fell behind in the count and on the scoreboard.

“We were out of this game two or three times early,” Hargrove said. “We could have gone belly up and just called it in.”

Pineiro walked the bases loaded in the second, then gave up a sacrifice fly. In the fourth, Joe Crede singled with two out and Jose Uribe lined a home run into the left-field stands for a 3-0 White Sox lead

“I had no command,” Pineiro said. “I felt like I had a million-dollar arm and a one-cent game. My ball was moving around so much, I couldn’t throw one down the middle of the plate.”

“He battled himself and them,” Hargrove said. “He just wasn’t sharp.”

Jermaine Dye homered in the sixth, and Uribe’s RBI single put the Sox ahead, 5-0.

One out into the seventh, with thoughts of a perfect game rolling through a crowd of 16,749, rookie Jeremy Reed became Seattle’s first baserunner by drawing a walk. Adrian Beltre singled and – after a nice ovation for Garland – Raul Ibanez walked to load the bases.

Boone singled into right field and it was 5-2.

It was 6-2 going into the ninth, and if that looked safe, it was agony for the Sox trying just to end it. Guillen used four relievers to get the final three outs, and the Mariners fell one swing short.

“We kept scratching away, and teams that do that win a lot of these games,” Hargrove said. “We came within one hit. Given how it started, that’s something.”

In that ninth, Ichiro Suzuki and Reed singled and lefty Damaso Marte – brought in to face Raul Ibanez – hit him to loaded the bases.

Guillen went to Shingo Takatsu.

Boone singled home two more runs, and it was 6-4 with just one out. Randy Winn followed with a walk.

Guillen called in Dustin Hermanson.

“I don’t want to take chances,” Guillen said.

In the Mariners’ dugout, Hargrove bit his lip. With Scott Spiezio due up, he wanted to pinch-hit Richie Sexson, who didn’t start because of flu-like symptoms. He couldn’t.

“Believe me, it crossed my mind a couple of times,” Hargrove said. “But in the fourth inning, Richie told us he couldn’t go.”

Spiezio struck out.

Hargrove sent rookie Greg Dobbs up to bat for Miguel Olivo. Dobbs fouled off three pitches, then grounded sharply to shortstop to end the game.

“I’m facing good arms and I’m taking good swings, I’m just fouling those pitches off,” Dobbs said. “That’s unacceptable. I expect more of myself.

“I felt so good, so strong, and when I fell behind I tried to do too much,” Pineiro said.

Pineiro’s first start of the season after being sidelined by a strained right shoulder wasn’t a victory, but it was far from a catastrophe. He got them into the sixth, needing 98 pitches. With improved control – fewer walks and long counts – that could easily have taken him through eight innings.

“It wasn’t what I wanted, but it was a first step,” Pineiro said. “If I pitch a little better, we win. I’m going to pitch better.”

Seattle doesn’t expect Sexson to get back into the lineup today, and it’s a stretch to think he’ll play before getting to Anaheim on Monday. After the game, shaky and pale, he was asked if he wanted to try pinch-hitting late in the game.

“I’m a confident guy, but I couldn’t see myself doing anything but hurting the team out there,” Sexson said. “I had trouble getting off the couch.”