Bump and run give Sox a lift
Team rallies after blowing 5-run lead in 9th
Things almost got away from the White Sox on Friday night in a wild ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners. But after letting the Mariners come back from a five-run deficit to take the lead, the Sox prevailed with their own dramatics.
Paul Konerko’s drive to the wall in center field fell between colliding outfielders Michael Saunders and Eric Thames, allowing Dewayne Wise to score the winning run in a 9-8 thriller.
‘‘It all happened so fast,’’ Konerko said of the top of the ninth when the Mariners sent 10 men to the plate and scored six runs to take an 8-7 lead. ‘‘But when Gordon [Beckham] got on [with an infield single off Tom Wilhelmsen], you think, ‘We can tie this up.’ ’’
The Sox won their fourth in a row and ended the Mariners’ streak of eight wins.
The win also allowed the Sox to move 2½ games ahead of the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central.
The victory went to Addison Reed (3-1), who also had a blown save as the third pitcher in the ninth.
‘‘That wasn’t our best,’’ Beckham said of the ninth that saw the Mariners cash in with four hits and three walks. ‘‘It’s one of those things in baseball you never know. That’s a game where we’re ahead [7-2], and on paper we should win. If we had lost that game, it would have been a big blow.’’
Beckham started the comeback with his infield single that shortstop Brendan Ryan couldn’t handle.
‘‘To be honest, I was just trying to get on, and that’s not the easiest thing to do because the inning had been so long,’’ Beckham said.
The Sox were cruising with the comfortable lead, ready to help hard-luck starter Jake Peavy notch a much-needed victory.
Philip Humber, whose perfect game came against the Mariners, started the ninth but quickly gave up a home run to Jesus Montero. He retired Thames but walked Justin Smoak.
Manager Robin Ventura called on lefty Donnie Veal to face Trayvon Robinson, who already had homered off Peavy. Robinson doubled this time, sending Ventura to the mound again for Reed.
He walked Ryan, gave up a single to Dustin Ackley and walked Saunders to load the bases and put 25,058 at U.S. Cellular Field on edge.
Kyle Seager’s sacrifice fly scored another run, and John Jaso’s single and Alex Rios’ throwing error from right field put the Mariners ahead 8-7.
‘‘We didn’t do anything well,’’ Kevin Youkilis said of the ninth. ‘‘We can’t have innings like that late in a game. It was a great win in the end.
‘‘First-place teams win games like that. We handled adversity.’’
Peavy finally had some run support with a pair of Adam Dunn homers and a two-run homer from Alexei Ramirez, but he wasn’t involved in the decision.
‘‘I was watching from [the clubhouse],’’ Peavy said.
‘‘It wasn’t a good atmosphere, obviously, but that’s what this team has been about all year — never say die.’’