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Mariners pull away to rout Red Sox

Jul 9, 2013 - 5:59 AM Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Raul Ibanez continues to defy Father Time.

The 41-year-old launched a go-ahead homer in the fifth, and Seattle piled on more runs en route to an 11-4 win over Boston in the opener of a four-game series at Safeco Field.

Justin Smoak, rookie Mike Zunino and Michael Saunders, the bottom three hitters in the Mariners' lineup, went a combined 7-for-12 and knocked in six total runs.

Smoak collected three hits with two RBI and Saunders plated three for Seattle, which returned home following a 4-2 road trip.

"You look at the quality of at-bats we've had of late and we're making the opposition work hard, I think we've seen a lot of good things from our guys," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said.

Mariners ace Felix Hernandez (9-4) outpitched Boston's Jon Lester (8-5). Hernandez kept the Red Sox off the board in six of the seven frames he pitched, while Lester surrendered five runs on nine hits in five-plus innings.

Mike Napoli and Jarrod Saltalamacchia each hit an RBI double in the eighth for the Red Sox, who have dropped three games in a row.

Boston erased a 2-0 deficit in the fifth, but Ibanez led off the bottom of the inning with his 22nd home run of the season. The blast to right field extended his hitting streak to 13 games during which he has gone deep eight times.

The Mariners turned the game into a rout against the Red Sox bullpen, scoring three runs in the sixth and posting a four-spot in the seventh.

"The 40-pitch fourth inning took a lot out of his night tonight. The pitch count got him and I had to make a move in that sixth inning," Red Sox manager John Farrell said about Lester.

Ibanez supplied an RBI single in the sixth, while Saunders had a run-scoring double in both innings. Nick Franklin doubled home Brad Miller to put Seattle up 10-2 after seven.

Zunino capped Seattle's offensive surge with an RBI groundout in the eighth.

The Mariners got two runs in the fourth as Smoak recorded an RBI double and Saunders drew a bases-loaded walk.

Just like that, however, the Red Sox pulled even. Hernandez hit Jose Iglesias to begin the fifth and Brock Holt and Daniel Nava followed with consecutive singles to put the visitors on the board. Holt scored the tying run on a wild pitch.

Game Notes

The Mariners now have at least one home run in each of their last 16 games ... Seattle was 6-for-21 with runners in scoring position after entering play in the midst of an 0-for-19 slump ... Hernandez hasn't lost since May 25 ... Boston starting pitchers had allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight straight games ... Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury missed the game with a sore left wrist ... The Mariners designated pitcher Jeremy Bonderman for assignment and recalled pitcher Lucas Luetge from Triple-A Tacoma on Monday.