Takeaway

Scuffing a 4-1 lead and then blowing a chance to win in the ninth inning, the Mariners lost 6-5 in Chicago Sunday (box score) when Tyler Saladino singled home the winning run in the 11th off David Rollins, the Mariners’ fifth pitcher. The White Sox scored two earlier runs off three Mariners errors, including SS Brad Miller’s terrible throw on what would have been the final out in the ninth to preserve a 5-4 win. The Mariners struck out 19 times and lost for the 23rd time in opponents’ last at-bat.

Essential moment

After taking a 5-4 lead in the eighth on a Kyle Seager two-out single to score Austin Jackson, who tripled, Mariners reliever Carson Smith, who picked up the final two outs in the eighth, allowed a leadoff single to Trayce Thompson. Smith struck out Alexei Ramirez and J.B. Shuck, but Thompson stole second on strike three to Shuck. Thompson scored when PH Carlos Sanchez hit a grounder to Miller, whose wild throw to first was not close to catchable.

Hitters

Two-run homers by Seager (first inning) and Jackson (second) gave the Mariners a 4-1 lead and helped chase starter Jose Quintana after 4.1 innings. Seager finished the series 7 for 16 after getting most of a day off Thursday. Jackson’s triple left him a double short of the cycle. Both finished 3-for-6. Robinson Cano had two hits.

Pitchers

In a spot start to give Felix Hernandez a rest, Edgar Olmos went five innings and gave up three runs and five hits, leaving with a 4-3 lead. He struggled mightily with control, issuing four walks and had a stretch of 11 consecutive balls.

Mayckol Guiape, just called up from Tacoma,  gave up game-tying homer in the seventh to Melky Cabrera. Smith pitched 1.2 innings but was charged with a blown save after Miller’s error.

In the 11th, Rollins gave up a single to Ramirez and walked Tyler Flowers. Carlos Sanchez flew out to Seth Smith at the right field warning track, Ramirez to third, from where he scored the winner on Saladino’s single.

Words

“It was just a bad throw. It was a throw that pulls the first baseman off the bag. If it’s a good throw, we win the ballgame.” — manager Lloyd McClendon on Miller’s ninth-inning error.

Noteworthy

Before the game, the Mariners sent down struggling starter Mike Montgomery to AAA Tacoma and called up Guaipe again. Montgomery made 16 starts after his June 2 call up with Seattle (4-6, 4.60). In three stints with Seattle, Guaipe entered Sunday’s game 0-3 with a 7.50 ERA in eight games . . . C John Hicks made his major league debut in the starting lineup (he was an emergency third baseman Saturday for two innings) and singled in his first at-bat . . . The White Sox stranded 16 runners . . . The 2-2 series split gave the White Sox the season series 4-3.

Next

The Mariners begin a three-game series in Houston at 5:10 p.m. Monday when LH Vidal Nuño (0-1, 3.21) takes on the division-leading Astros ace LH Dallas Keuchel (15-6, 2.28).