Sox' Floyd not up to task this time
SEATTLE -- There are no gimmes in major-league baseball, but Sunday's game against the Mariners stacked up nicer than most for the White Sox.
Not only were they playing a Seattle team that was batting just .209 during a stretch of 10 losses in 11 games, the Sox had their best starter to date, Gavin Floyd, on the mound.
The success scale tipped even more toward the White Sox when they scored 2 runs on 4 hits in the first inning against Mariners starter Miguel Batista.
That figured to be more than enough support for Floyd, who in his last start took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before Minnesota's Joe Mauer doubled with one out.
But in the "Baseball Can Be A Funny Game" category, it was slumping Seattle that had the last laugh during a 6-3 victory at Safeco Field.
Floyd was able to sidestep big trouble in the second inning, when the Mariners loaded the bases with no outs.
No. 8 hitter Wladimir Balentien grounded into a 1-2-3 double play and Yuniesky Betancourt grounded out to third baseman Joe Crede, and it sure looked like Seattle's offense was in slumber mode for yet another day.
But the Mariners finally woke up, scoring 2 runs in the third inning and 2 more in the fourth to knock Floyd out of the game.
"I came into this start pitching good and I gave up some runs," Floyd said after giving up 5 on 9 hits over 3¿ innings. "I just wasn't able to do it today."
The biggest blow came with two outs in the third inning, when Raul Ibanez homered on a 3-0 pitch.
"I'll take a swing on a 3-0 pitch anytime," Floyd said. "But he hit it real far."
Part of the process of developing into a premier starter is the expectation level. And with Floyd on the mound, the Sox expected good things Sunday.
"He struggled all game," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He tried to battle through it and couldn't. Hopefully he'll bounce back in his next outing and continue pitching the way he has all year."
Floyd deserved some -- but not all -- of the blame Sunday.
While the Sox' offense jumped on Bautista early, the first inning should have netted more than 2 runs. But with runners on second and third and one out, Crede popped out and Nick Swisher struck out.
The White Sox loaded the bases with two outs in the third, and Brian Anderson grounded out.
In the sixth, the Sox squandered another great scoring chance. With runners on second and third and one out, reliever Arthur Rhodes struck out Jim Thome. After intentionally walking Paul Konerko, Rhodes got A.J. Pierzynski to fly out.
"We had a lot of shots and couldn't get it done," Guillen said after White Sox left 13 runners on base while going 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
"We let (Bautista) get off the hook when we only scored 2 runs in the first inning. We had a chance to score a lot more."
Mariners 6, White Sox 3
At the plate: Orlando Cabrera matched his career high with 4 hits, raising his batting average from .210 to .231. Carlos Quentin was 2-for-5 and increased his team-high RBI total to 29.
On the mound: In his worst outing of the season, starter Gavin Floyd pitched 32/3 innings and allowed 5 runs on 9 hits. Nick Masset pitched 21/3 scoreless innings.