M's drop deeper with fifth loss in a row

It got worse. If only just a little bit more.

The Mariners' troubles continued Saturday night. Their 8-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Safeco Field was their fifth in a row and 10th in the past 11 games.

Brian Anderson took Seattle starter Jarrod Washburn deep over the wall in center field for a three-run home run in the second inning, and a six-run second was all Chicago needed to keep the Mariners in their most recent funk.

The Mariners heard the boos before two innings were complete, and even though they rallied, it wasn't enough.

Anderson's was just the first home run of the night off Washburn. Three batters later, Orlando Cabrera drove a ball past the outstretched glove of left fielder Raul Ibanez and off the wall for a double. Next came Carlos Quentin, who entered the game tied for the American League lead in home runs with eight.

Seeing how things have been going for the Mariners, guess what Quentin did? Two-run bomb. That made it 6-0.

"Right now we're just looking for the one win just to break the ice and have a cold beer together," manager John McLaren said before the game. That beverage of choice will wait at least another day.

There were some things for the home folks to cheer about. A diving attempt in right field from Wladimir Balentien. A nice set of throws from Balentien to Adrian Beltre to Jose Lopez to nail Chicago's Joe Crede trying to take second base on a single in the third inning. Beltre's solo home run in the fourth, his seventh of the season, and his two-run single a bit later.

Plus the fact that the Mariners scored more than two runs in a game for the first time since winning 7-3 on May 5. Apparently, people were so excited about Seattle's three-run sixth inning — which made the score 7-4 White Sox — that they did The Wave.

All in all, however, the best crowd of the week — 33,078 — headed for the exits having witnessed another defeat. The Mariners dropped to 14-24, still the worst record in the American League.

McLaren might not be at his wit's end, but he certainly is in whatever-it-takes-to-get-it-going mode.

Not that the suspended Richie Sexson and the ailing Jose Vidro could provide much firepower with how they have been hitting. Regardless, neither were available Saturday and slumping Yuniesky Betancourt was given a night off.

McLaren dropped Lopez, the team's No. 2 hitter all season, to the five hole and put Miguel Cairo, who has two hits all season including one Saturday, in as the first baseman.

Jeff Clement was the designated hitter with a .154 average and Willie Bloomquist, a .172 hitter going in, was the second-place hitter. Cairo, Clement and Bloomquist combined to go 1-for-8 and struck out five times.

The White Sox took a 7-1 lead on Nick Swisher's triple down the left-field line that drove in Paul Konerko in the fifth inning.

The Mariners scored three in the sixth after Cairo led off with a single and Ichiro laced a double that Anderson couldn't come up with in center field. Bloomquist popped out, but Beltre drove in both runners with a solid single up the middle to make it 7-3. Beltre took third on a single, and Lopez hit a sacrifice fly.

The burst of offense, while a positive sign, was the best the Mariners had Saturday. The Mariners had Ichiro on third base and Bloomquist on first in the seventh inning when Bloomquist stole second on a pickoff move. The throw to get him at second was late, but White Sox second baseman Juan Uribe gathered himself in time to throw out Ichiro at home plate.

Another lost opportunity and another loss.

"This is a position that we put ourselves in and we're the ones that can get ourselves out of it, and I'm confident we will," McLaren said.

He can only hope.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com