Freddy's freaky Friday

The trading deadline has passed, but Freddy Garcia's patchy and perplexing season has not. He's the biggest puzzle for this franchise since Bobby Ayala.

The Mariners right-hander, a two-time All-Star, the anchor of the rotation and the subject of a series of trade rumors at Thursday's trading deadline, last night buckled under that burden. Garcia had the shortest outing of his 144-start career, going just 1-2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs in an eventual 12-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

The loss hurt the Mariners in the AL West race as Oakland came back to beat New York last night 3-2 in 10 innings. The Athletics trail by just three games.

It also was one of the most emotionally painful outings for Garcia, who left the field with two outs in the second to the uncustomary cascades of boos.

"It's hard to say where to go right now," pitching coach Bryan Price said. "The pitches that were hit were pitches that weren't executed. It's not just a mechanical thing now. There's an emotional element to it that's a huge burden for anyone to deal with when he's just trying to throw a good ballgame.

"So I think we have more than one element to deal with right now."

Garcia, who left the clubhouse before reporters arrived, went through a horrendous three-start stretch in May. Then he was the league's pitcher of the month for June when he went 5-0 with a 2.05 earned-run average. In his past four starts, he has allowed 25 runs in 15 innings. The 2001 league-leader in ERA now carries a 5.57 ERA.

"Any time your No. 1 guy struggles at two different times, sure it's a concern," manager Bob Melvin said. "Absolutely."

It may be too simple to say this was a post-deadline letdown for the Mariners. It was closer to a collapse. By contrast, the White Sox are just one example of what can happen when a team makes a major in-season trade.

The Sox actually made two significant trades July 1, bringing in second baseman Roberto Alomar and outfielder Carl Everett. It took a couple of weeks to assimilate them, but since mid-July the White Sox have been the best team in baseball.

The victory moved the once moribund White Sox (58-51) into a first-place tie with Kansas City (57-50) in the AL Central. They are seven games over .500 for the first time since May 25, 2002.

What a difference a month — or a trade or two — makes. Entering July, things appeared ready to unravel for the White Sox. Manager Jerry Manuel's job was in jeopardy. There were stories that management was on the verge of a sell-off. Then Everett arrived from Texas and Alomar from the New York Mets — two last-place teams steeped in the sell-off tradition — and the Southsiders were energized. More than anything, it sent the right message.

"It's kind of puzzling. It looked like he was throwing hard. He had good bite on his changeup," Melvin said. "What I saw was maybe his location (was off). And he ran into a very hot team on top of it."

On the other side, Sox starter Bartolo Colon (9-9), who, like Garcia (9-11) has been a Sox puzzle, was locked in. Through the first five innings, Colon faced the minimum 15 batters. He allowed a single to Edgar Martinez to open the second inning, then John Olerud quickly hit into a double play. Colon went to a three-ball count on just one batter, Rey Sanchez in the first inning, then he flied out to center.

Colon pitched eight innings, allowing one run on seven hits while walking none and striking out eight. He threw 100 pitches, 72 for strikes.

Carlos Lee, who has had three straight three-hit games, started it off with a one-out double. It looked like Garcia would get out of it, as he got Frank Thomas to fly out and appeared to have Magglio Ordonez struck out, but home-plate umpire Wally Bell wouldn't commit. Ordonez walked.

Everett followed with his 20th home run, a three-run shot into the right-field bleachers. The boos droned through the crowd. Paul Konerko then homered in his fourth straight game, to deep center. The boos intensified.

Garcia struck out Jose Valentin with his 33rd pitch in the inning, but the Mariners were up-and-down so fast in their half that it was like Garcia never left. He was right back in peril in the second as Joe Crede and Alomar singled with one out. Lee then drove in Crede with a single. With two outs, Ordonez walked, then Everett cracked a two-run single to give him five RBI.

Garcia, who threw 66 pitches, was finished. When Melvin finally lifted him, the crowd let go. Garcia walked straight up, but was slow to the dugout, drowned in derision.

Julio Mateo was a bright spot for the Mariners. He went a career-high 5-1/3 innings in relief of Garcia, giving up two hits and one run, while striking out a career-high eight batters.

"It's difficult for everyone (when Garcia struggles)," Mateo said. "He's trying very hard. He's doing the best he can. Nothing is going good for him right now."

Bob Sherwin: 206-464-8286 or bsherwin@seattletimes.com