BOSTON — After a tumultuous stretch in which they lost 29 of 40 games, the Seattle Mariners got the stopper performance they have come to expect from Felix Hernandez at Fenway Park.
He allowed six hits over six innings as the Mariners snapped a four-game losing streak with an 8-0 victory Friday night. Hernandez faced a Boston lineup missing not only David Ortiz, who is on the disabled list with an injured left wrist, but Manny Ramirez, who sat with a sore right hamstring.
In two career starts in Boston, Hernandez (4-5) is 2-0 and has pitched 15 scoreless innings. On April 11, 2007, he pitched a one-hitter, walking two.
“Felix stepped up and has been pretty good in Fenway Park,” Mariners manager John McLaren said.
The 15 innings represents the longest career scoreless streak at Fenway Park since 1956.
Boston’s biggest threat came in the second inning. Sean Casey and Jason Varitek singled and, with two outs, Julio Lugo walked to load the bases. Hernandez struck out Coco Crisp to end the inning.
“(It) was important for me, important for the team. I was trying to keep the lead,” said Hernandez, who won for the second time in as many starts after going seven starts without a win.
It was his first road victory since April 16. He walked three and struck out five.
“He did a great job of keeping us off base, and really not letting us get anything together and when we did have something going, he made some pitches when he had to,” Casey said.
Offensively, the Mariners capitalized on some shoddy Red Sox fielding. Three Boston errors, two by starter Bartolo Colon, led to the Mariners’ first three runs.
“We took advantage of some mistakes,” said Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson, who was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. “It feels good. We needed a win. There’s been a lot of negative things surrounding this team the last month or so.”
On Wednesday, following a 5-4 home loss to the Los Angeles Angels that dropped the Mariners a season-low 18 games under .500, the Seattle locker room was the site of separate outbursts by team president Chuck Armstrong and McLaren.
Colon (3-1) threw a tailor-made double play ball into center field in the first inning, allowing Jose Lopez, who had singled, to score the first run of the game. Raul Ibanez, who walked after Lopez’s hit, advanced to third and scored on a groundout by Jose Vidro.
Colon’s erratic throwing in the third led to the Mariners’ third run of the game.
After Ichiro Suzuki reached on an error by third baseman Mike Lowell and Lopez singled, Colon’s errant pickoff throw to second base sailed into center field, allowing both runners to advance. Suzuki scored on a sacrifice fly by Adrian Beltre, extending the Mariners lead to 3-0.
“It is strange for me to make not only the errors but that many in one game,” said Colon, who lost for the first time in his brief Red Sox career. “However, it’s part of the game. You move on and hopefully the next game it doesn’t happen.”
The Mariners, who won for only the second time in their last 15 road games, scored two runs in the fourth. After Sexson singled and Yuniesky Betancourt doubled, Suzuki laced a base hit to left, scoring both. Despite a strong throw by Brandon Moss, Betancourt was able to slide past Varitek’s tag at the plate, giving Seattle a 5-0 lead.
Colon’s fielding troubles again aided the Mariners. Following base hits by Ibanez and Beltre, Sexson lined a ball up the middle. Colon managed to get a glove on it, but it ricocheted off it and into the outfield, scoring Ibanez for a 6-0 lead.
Suzuki and Vidro added two RBIs each for the Mariners.
Colon allowed three earned runs and eight hits over five innings. He was relieved by David Aardsma, who was tagged with two runs in the seventh.
Casey had three hits for the Red Sox, who had a 13-game home winning streak snapped.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
