Hill is no help as Sox lose

Orioles 8 Sox 5

Ken Hill lasted only 2 1/3 innings in his White Sox debut andBrook Fordyce drove in three runs against his former team as theBaltimore Orioles beat Chicago 8-5 Thursday at Comiskey Park.

Hill (5-8), released earlier this month by the Anaheim Angels, wassigned to a minor-league contract by the White Sox. He was added toChicago's roster before the game to give the team's beleagueredstarting rotation a boost.

But Hill was shaky from the outset and gave up six runs on fivehits and four walks.

Chicago's lead over Cleveland in the AL Central was sliced to 6 1/2 games with the Indians facing Oakland on Thursday night.

Fordyce, traded from the White Sox to the Orioles last month, hita two-run single and a sacrifice fly.

Jose Mercedes (9-5) allowed six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He held theWhite Sox without a hit until Carlos Lee's one-out single in thefifth.

Trailing 6-0, the White Sox broke through in the sixth on JoseValentin's RBI single. Herbert Perry's run-scoring double and an RBIsingle by Chris Singleton in the seventh finished Mercedes, who is 6-1 since the All-Star break.

Jerry Hairston hit an RBI double in the Orioles' ninth.

Charles Johnson, traded to the White Sox in the deal that includedFordyce, had a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth. It markedthe first earned run allowed by rookie reliever Ryan Kohlmeier, whohad made 10 appearances spanning 12 innings.

Hill walked Jeff Conine and Chris Richard in the second beforegiving up a two-run, two-out double to .235 hitter Mark Lewis.

Brady Anderson walked in the third and scored on Melvin Mora'striple high off the left-field wall. Albert Belle singled to make it4-0 and another single by Conine and walk to Richard loaded the basesand finished Hill. Fordyce greeted reliever Mark Buehrle with a two-run single.

The White Sox had second and third and no outs in the eighth butmanaged just a single run on Frank Thomas' sacrifice fly.

NOTES: Cal Ripken, on the disabled list, celebrated his 40thbirthday Thursday.

It was Jose Mercedes' second win over the White Sox in 10 days. Hebeat them with an eight-inning, one-run effort Aug. 14 at CamdenYards.

Right-hander Kevin Beirne was demoted to Class AAA Charlotte toclear room for Ken Hill on the roster. Hill had been bothered by anarthritic elbow and strained ribcage muscle this season.