Mariners Take Out the Red Sox

Jun 26, 02:40 AM

Current Headlines: SEATTLE _ Doing things the small way paid big dividends for the Mariners, who embarked Monday on a crucial two-week stretch of games.

Seattle entered Monday night's tilt against the power-hitting Boston Red Sox knowing that a slugfest likely wouldn't be in its best interest. Starting pitcher Jeff Weaver helped ensure that didn't happen, giving up only a couple of hard-hit balls and holding the Red Sox to just a lone earned run in 5-2/3 innings.

That kept things close until the Mariners erupted for five runs in the fifth inning en route to a 9-4 victory over the AL East leaders. Only a couple of balls made it beyond the infield that inning, but the Mariners notched timely hits and drew a couple of bases-loaded walks when it truly mattered.

Neither of the teams seemed destined to slug anything until the Mariners put it away in the seventh with back-to-back home runs by Kenji Johjima and Adrian Beltre off Red Sox reliever Mike Timlin. Johjima's two-run rocket to left came on the first pitch, and Beltre's homer came on the very next offering.

The Red Sox put a scare into the Mariners by scoring twice in the ninth, but reliever Ryan Rowland-Smith struck out Mike Lowell to cap the victory.

A third straight win by the Mariners, in front of 33,830 fans at Safeco Field, helped them keep pace with other AL wild-card hopefuls. The team is trying to decide whether it will be in buyer or seller mode on the trade front, with July fast approaching.

There is still a month to go before the trade market truly heats up. But this two-week stretch, in which Seattle plays winning clubs from Boston, Toronto and Oakland, could help spell out the Mariners' immediate future heading into the All-Star break.

Jose Lopez put the Mariners ahead to stay in the fifth with a two-run single to left off Red Sox starter Julian Tavarez. Seattle then scored a pair of add-on runs on bases-loaded walks off Boston reliever Kyle Snyder with two out.

Johjima had the key plate appearance, fighting off a full-count curveball from Snyder before taking the next pitch for a ball and forcing in a run. Beltre then came to bat for the second time in the inning and drew a walk of his own to put Seattle ahead 6-2.

That was enough for Weaver to emerge with a second consecutive victory on a night when he threw a whole lot of pitches early. But while Weaver certainly showed signs of breaking, he never broke.

His throwing error in a 33-pitch third inning paved the way for a pair of Boston runs on a single by J.D. Drew that put the visitors up 2-1. Boston could have had more, but Weaver got Lowell to pop out with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Weaver escaped another bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning, getting Kevin Youkilis to hit into a fielder's choice. All the pitches helped run Weaver's count up to 96 through five innings.

He came back out to start the sixth and nearly yielded a leadoff solo homer to Lowell. The ball wound up hitting the out-of-town scoreboard about a half-foot below the home-run marker, resulting in a long single.

Weaver then hit Jason Varitek with a pitch to put two on with none out. But Coco Crisp flied out to center and Julio Lugo flied out to right to end Boston's chance.

Weaver was then replaced on the mound by Eric O'Flaherty and got a nice ovation from the fans as he strode slowly towards the dugout. O'Flaherty got Drew to line out softly to second base, and Weaver's four-run lead was secure for another inning.

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