Seattle's pitching is getting close to rock bottom.
After a 15-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, the Mariners have lost six games in succession and 10 of their last 11. In almost all of those games, the pitching has been at the core of the problem. A six-run first inning off right-hander R.A. Dickey was the fourth time on the road trip that Seattle pitching had allowed five or more runs in an inning. For the season, Mariners pitchers have allowed five runs or more in an inning 18 times.
"We are not pitching well right now, to say the least," pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said. "Collectively, we just haven't."
Dickey, who has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen, had been moved out of the rotation after giving up eight runs in two of his previous four starts.
Wednesday against the White Sox, he gave up eight more and was out of the game after two innings.
WHITE SOX 15, MARINERS 3: Former Mariner Ken Griffey Jr. homered, singled, walked twice and scored three runs to help beat his old team.
The homer was the 609th of Griffey's career, which ties him with Sammy Sosa for fifth on the all-time list. The first 398 of those were hit while he played for the Mariners.
RHP R.A. Dickey, pressed into a start because of an injury to RHP Carlos Silva, gave up eight runs in the first two innings, including an RBI single to Griffey in the first and a two-run homer by Griffey in the second.
