But for the Seattle Mariners, who recently needed 24 innings to score one run, overcoming a six-run deficit is no simple task. And since they have yet to win a game in which they have trailed by two runs or more this season, it was logical to assume that Jarrod Washburn’s six runs surrendered in the second inning sealed their fate before they’d even had their second set of at-bats in the game.

So perhaps that’s why Saturday’s 8-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Safeco Field was even more grating and frustrating for the Mariners (14-24).

They put up a noble fight to claw their way back into the game and gave themselves a chance to tie or take the lead.

Only that chance was tagged out at home, thanks to one ugly baserunning mess by their two best baserunners. And with the threat averted, Seattle suffered its fifth straight loss and its 10th loss in the past 11 games.

“A loss is a loss, let’s be honest, but there was a few games there we didn’t have anything,” Mariners manager John McLaren said. “Tonight I could tell there was something there, we had some fire and some enthusiasm even when we were losing 6-0.”

The baserunning debacle came in the bottom of the seventh with Mariners trailing 7-4, having fought back from the early 6-0 deficit.

With Ichiro Suzuki on third and Willie Bloomquist on first and two outs and the suddenly hot hitting Adrian Beltre at the plate, things seemed promising, especially when Chicago reliever Octavio Dotel fell behind in the count, 3-1.

Beltre, who had hit a solo homer in the fourth and driven in two runs in the sixth with an RBI single, seemed poised for another hit as the crowd of 33,078 stood in anticipation.

But the 3-1 pitch never made it to home plate and Beltre.

Instead, Dotel faked a pick-off move to third and then held the ball while Bloomquist broke for second on a steal.

“It wasn’t a designed play or a double steal,” McLaren said. “We had taken the green light off of Willie, but Dotel was slow to the plate and we told him to go ahead and go.”

It’s not bad logic. It takes the force out at second base out of play as well as putting Bloomquist in motion if Beltre hits a ball to the gap.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen didn’t say he personally called for the fake pick-off play, but hinted toward it.

“Bloomquist is always running,” Guillen said. “We just got lucky. We caught the play at the right place at the right time. This game’s crazy.”

Dotel seemed to have Bloomquist dead to rights.

But the Mariners got a break when Dotel’s awkward throw to second to get Bloomquist was low and bounced away from second baseman Juan Uribe.

Seeing the ball on the ground Ichiro broke for home, but his break was a little tardy. Uribe quickly scooped the ball up and fired home, getting Ichiro by half a step.

“Ichiro saw the ball in the dirt and that’s when he took off and the ball came right up to Uribe and he threw home,” McLaren said. “We’re trying to stay aggressive, but it didn’t work there.”

For Ichiro, it wasn’t so much a matter of aggressiveness but logic.

“Given the situation, there’s a high probability that the last out of the inning was going to be made at second base, but that’s something that must not happen,” Ichiro said through translator Ken Baron. “If there is an out to be made, it must be made at home, not second base.”

Replays didn’t show exactly when Ichiro broke for home, and he wasn’t certain either.

“Please watch the video and find out because I’m going off feelings of the situation and I’m kind of into the moment,” he said.

Even though the throw beat him, Ichiro’s slide away from the tag made the play very close and he even motioned like he was safe.

But home plate umpire Gerry Davis called him out. Slow-motion replays showed that Ichiro’s foot might have sneaked in first, but he remained diplomatic.

“It’s a tough call, so it’s hard for me to say, but that’s the reason we have umpires,” Ichiro said.

Beltre could only shake his head and saunter back to the dugout, never getting his chance.

The Mariners’ never threatened again. But some fight was better than none for McLaren. Washburn (2-5) took the loss, while Vazquez (4-3) got the win.

“I think we can carry this over,” McLaren said. “The guys stuck with it and kept fighting which is a positive sign.”

Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483

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