For Starters, Baldwin Not Bad

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

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

“I went back to basics,” said Baldwin, who is 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 hitless in four at-bats as Seattle lost for the fourth time in five games.

“It wasn’t a fun day out there,” Seattle’s Alex Rodriguez said.

Durham hit his 14th homer--a two-run shot--and a tie-breaking run-scoring 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.

“Navarro’s been in the game for a long time,” said Baldwin who gave up three runs, four hits and struck 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.”

Said Manuel: “You have to send a message that these things aren’t guaranteed for life. He [Navarro] didn’t balk or fight it. In the back of his mind, I think he welcomed the change.”

The White Sox, 20-15 since the All-Star break, changed their luck in the seventh. With the score 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.

Fassero lost for only the second time in 10 starts. He gave up all five runs and 13 hits in pitching his sixth complete game.

“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.”