Konerko gets 5 hits, White Sox beat Seattle in 10

[May 09, 2011]  SEATTLE (AP) -- Paul Konerko returned to the White Sox lineup and tied his career high with five hits, including a single in the 10th inning that helped Chicago beat the Seattle Mariners 5-2 Sunday.

Alexei Ramirez drove in the go-ahead run with a double to the left-center field gap.

Konerko was lifted for a pinch-hitter Saturday night because of stiffness in his left wrist. He went 5 for 5 and raised his batting average from .295 to .323.

Brent Morel opened the 10th with a single to left off closer Brandon League (0-1), who was working more than one inning for the first time this season. Juan Pierre bunted Morel to second before Ramirez hit a 1-0 fastball.

Adam Dunn followed with a hard RBI double into the right-field corner and Alex Rios finished it with a RBI single.

Sergio Santos (1-0) earned his first decision with two innings of hitless relief. He has yet to allow a run in 12 appearances.

Milton Bradley, Miguel Olivo and Brendan Ryan each had two hits for the Mariners.

Mark Buehrle worked eight innings for the White Sox. He allowed two runs on nine hits.

Eric Bedard allowed struck out nine and allowed two runs on five hits in five innings.

The Sox scored two off Bedard in the fourth. With one out, Konerko doubled off the left-center wall and later scored when Ramon Castro singled to left and Bradley's erratic throw forced catcher Olivo to chase the ball toward the dugout.

Then it bounced off his glove. Rios, seeing the plate uncovered slid home for another run.

The Mariners tied it with two in the fifth on Ryan's RBI single that ended Buehrle's 17-inning scoreless streak and Suzuki's fly to center.

The Mariners had two odd plays that probably cost them. Suzuki was hit in the foot by a batted ball while he tried for second on a hit-and-run in the fourth.

In the seventh, Ryan ripped a ball past third base but umpire Mark Wegner was hit in the left leg when he jumped to avoid it. That prevented Ryan from easily getting into scoring position.

The White Sox threatened in the eighth off reliever Jamey Wright, but Konerko's single to left was too hard to score Dunn from second, and Rios hit into a double play.

NOTES: Mariners RHP Shawn Kelley, coming back from right elbow tendon transplant surgery, attempted a simulated game but was stopped after one of two planned innings. He threw 15 pitches. "We decided it was enough," manager Eric Wedge said. "I think he's fine. We did not want to press it. He's so close to going on rehab. He'll catch a couple days then have another sim game in Baltimore." ... Chone Figgins, who fouled a ball off his knee, was scratched from the lineup. ... Konerko said that the stiffness in his wrist "kind of comes and goes. It goes as quickly as it comes sometimes. We can't identify what it is, but it's nothing serious, just something that's nagging."

[Associated Press]

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