Colon goes 7 strong as BoSox score 4 in 8th inning to end 3-game skid

SEATTLE (AP) -- Dustin Pedroia recalled the Felix Hernandez he witnessed at Fenway Park last year, the one that gave up just one-hit to the Red Sox.

As good as Hernandez was on Monday night, that wasn't the version Boston's second baseman saw.

"We hit the ball really hard early in the game and they made some great plays. When he pitched against us last year, we didn't hit any balls hard," Pedroia said.

So when Hernandez left a fastball over the plate to Pedroia in the eighth inning, Pedroia didn't miss on his chance.

Pedroia's RBI ground-rule double scored the go-ahead run and sparked a four-run eighth inning for Boston, as the Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 5-3 on Monday night.

Bartolo Colon showed flashes of his Cy Young days with seven solid innings in his second start with Boston, David Ortiz added a long homer, and the Red Sox snapped their seven-game road losing streak. It was Boston's longest skid away from Fenway in nearly seven years.

"It's satisfying to shake hands again. We've had our share of ... frustrating losses," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "To string together enough to give us a little wiggle room was good and we needed it."

Meanwhile, Seattle (18-34) dropped its seventh straight and fell 16 games under .500, as the Mariners, a fashionable pick to challenge in the AL West before the season, continued to sink. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only the 1914 Boston Braves have been 16 games under .500 and still made the playoffs.

"There is some encouragement, but we are just looking for a win," Seattle manager John McLaren said. "A moral victory is not what we're looking for."

Hernandez (2-5) was brilliant for seven innings, his only hiccup a low-and-outside fastball in the fourth inning that Ortiz somehow drove out to the deepest part of Safeco Field for his 12th homer of the season.

But then Hernandez stumbled in the eighth, and Boston took full advantage, starting with Pedroia. With two outs and Julio Lugo on second, Pedroia jumped on the first pitch, lining it into the Red Sox bullpen on a hop, snapping a 1-all tie.

"With him you're just trying to get a pitch out over the plate to hit," Pedroia said. "You don't get many so you've got to make sure you hit them."

After Ortiz was intentionally walked, Manny Ramirez rattled the right field wall to score Pedroia. Mike Lowell then hit a grounder behind third that Adrian Beltre stopped, but had no play, allowing Ortiz to score. J.D. Drew reached on an 65-foot infield single to load the bases and Jason Varitek walked on a 3-2 pitch to force home the fourth run and end Hernandez's night.

Hernandez, who was supposed to start on Sunday in New York but had his start pushed back a day because of a sore calf, allowed seven hits, struck out five and walked five. He has lost his last five decisions after starting the season 2-0.

"Hard luck. That's all I can call it," Hernandez said. "That was one of the best [starts] of my last five."

While Hernandez disgustedly threw his glove into the dugout as he walked off the mound, Colon (2-0) watched from the Red Sox bench as Boston's rally gave him his second win in as many starts. Colon threw 84 pitches in seven strong innings, scattering five hits and striking out five.

Colon managed to keep Seattle's offense under control relying mostly on his fastball, which impressed both Varitek and Francona.

"I thought his movement, his life on his fastball was good and he got strong," Francona said. "He made a lot of good quality pitches with life."

Seattle continued to struggle with runners in scoring position, missing out on its few opportunities to put together a bit inning. Seattle got its first run in the sixth, when Raul Ibanez's ground out to second scored Suzuki from third to tie the game at 1-all. But Beltre grounded out to end the inning with Jose Lopez at third.

The Mariners also missed chances in the third and seventh with runners at third. They did score twice in the ninth off Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Suzuki did give Mariners' fans a rare moment to cheer in the top of the fifth, crashing into the center field wall to make an over-the-shoulder catch on Varitek's drive.

As Suzuki bounced off the wall, he moved the ball to his bare hand and controlled it as he crashed on the warning track.

"I thought that ball had a significant chance to go out ... and he makes one of the best catches I've ever seen," Varitek said.

Game notes
Colon is now 7-0 in his last eight starts at Safeco Field. He has not lost in Seattle since Aug. 24, 2001. ... Varitek wore a camouflaged chest protector and shin guards in honor of Memorial Day. The gear will be auctioned off and proceeds going toward the Massachusetts Soldiers Legacy Fund. ... Monday was Ramirez's 2,000th career game.