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ChiSox's Baldwin Surprises Mariners

James Baldwin knows all about the benefits of being in the bullpen. Now the White Sox hope Jaime Navarro will learn the same lessons.

Ray Durham homered and drove in three runs Sunday to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

"I went back to basics," said Baldwin now 5-2 in nine starts since returning to the rotation. "Being out there that long gives you time to think about what you need to do."

Ken Griffey Jr., who hit his 42nd home run Saturday, went 0-for-4 as Seattle lost for the fourth time in the last five games.

"It wasn't a fun day out there," said Seattle's Alex Rodriguez.

Durham hit his 14th homer a two-run shot and a tie-breaking RBI single as the White Sox won for the eighth time in 12 games.

Before the game, White Sox manager Jerry Manuel announced that Navarro, who has been strictly a starter since 1995, will switch to the bullpen for the rest of the season.

"Navarro's been in the game for a long time," said Baldwin who gave up three runs on four hits, striking out six. "All he has to do is keep his head up and get down on his knees every once in a while and pray."

"You have to send a message that these things aren't guaranteed for life," Manuel said. "He (Navarro) didn't balk or fight it. In the back of his mind, I think he welcomed the change."

The White Sox, now 20-15 since the All-Star break, changed their luck in the seventh. With the game tied 3-3, Chad Kreuter led off with a double against Jeff Fassero (10-9). Durham then singled to center to score pinch-runner Mike Cameron. The White Sox added their final run in the eighth on an RBI single by Magglio Ordonez.

"I've been seeing the ball well," Durham said. "I just wanted to put it in play."

Fassero lost for only the second time in his last 10 starts. He allowed all five runs on 13 hits in pitching his sixth complete game of the season.

"They didn't overpower us, they just hit the ball," Fassero said. "They did it the whole series. All they did was base hit, base hit, base hit."

"The White Sox swung the bats well the whole series," Mariners manager Lou Piniella said. "Even in the loss (Saturday), they had 17 hits."

Keith Foulke (3-1) pitched an inning of one-hit relief to earn the victory. Bob Howry worked the eighth and Bill Simas struck out the side in the ninth for his 15th save.

Joey Cora tripled to lead off the Mariners first and scored on Rodriguez's single.

Durham homered with two out in the third, scoring Ordonez who had doubled, to give Chicago a 2-1 lead. Wil Cordero's RBI groundout in the sixth scored Albert Belle to make it 3-1.

The Mariners chased Baldwin in the seventh when Jay Buher hit a two-run homer, his 12th, to tie the game at 3.

Notes:

  • Navarro is 8-14 with a 6.24 ERA in 26 starts. Manuel would not say who would replace Navarro but one candidate is Jim Abbott who did not pitch last year. Abbott is 0-1 with a 4.38 ERA in two starts for Class AAA Calgary.
  • Fassero entered the game with a 3-0 mark in four career starts against the White Sox.
  • Durham went 9-for-14 (.643) in the three-game series with a double, home run, four runs scored and five RBI.

    ©1998 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

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