• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Contreras, White Sox defeat struggling Mariners

May 10, 2008 - 6:11 AM SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Jose Contreras pitched seven strong innings and Paul Konerko's ground-rule double keyed a three-run third as the Chicago White Sox posted a 4-2 triumph over the Seattle Mariners on Friday.

Jim Thome blasted a solo home run in the seventh for the White Sox, who have won three of their last four games.

Ichiro Suzuki scored on a wild pitch in the third to end the Mariners' 24-inning scoreless streak. Seattle has managed just three runs over its last 41 frames.

"It's a very difficult time, I'll be honest with you," Seattle manager John McLaren. "I've been in the big leagues 22 years and I really can't remember an offensive team I've been involved with that has struggled as much as we have. We've got to keep going. We're disappointed, but we're not quitting. There's not a quitter in the clubhouse."

"If we were not frustrated at this point, we should not have the privilege of wearing our uniforms," Ichiro added. "(It's) a worse-case scenario where we're at right now, but we must not think about punishing ourselves too much. But we can't think that we're fine where we're at right now."

The 36-year-old Contreras (3-3) yielded just one run and six hits with two walks and four strikeouts. He retired the last eight batters he faced.

"Obviously, getting a couple of runs early settled me down a little bit," Contreras said through an interpreter. "Of course, there were great defensive plays by (Joe) Crede and (Brian Anderson) catching that ball (off Richie Sexson) in center field kept them from getting a big inning, and that was very good."

"That's what we are looking for from Jose," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He's doing a great job and just has to keep working hard and good things will happen to him."

Scott Linebrink tossed a perfect eighth inning before Bobby Jenks surrendered a solo homer by Wladimir Balentien in the ninth before notching his seventh save of the season.

Chicago grabbed the lead in the third, when Konerko hit a two-run, ground-rule double to right field with the bases loaded off Seattle starter Carlos Silva (3-2). Thome then scored on Jermaine Dye's sacrifice fly to give the White Sox a 3-0 edge.

Thome gave his club a little more breathing room in the seventh, when he crushed Silva's full-count offering over the right field wall for his seventh homer of the season and 514th career, making it 4-1.

"It was one of those games where we battled and got some pitches there off Silva," Thome said. "And Contreras, he battled. Our offense hasn't really been swinging the bats well. It's kind of nice to get things going a little bit."

Silva lasted seven innings, allowing four runs and eight hits with two walks and a strikeout en route to his second straight loss. After starting the season 3-0, Silva has not won since April 17.

"I thought Silva did a nice job," McLaren said. "He had a bad inning. He's a competitor. He was very upset."

Balentien's solo shot with two outs in the ninth was his third home run of the season.