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Jones, Betancourt help Mariners continue dominance over Red Sox

Aug 4, 2007 - 6:52 AM SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Adam Jones doesn't know much about the Seattle Mariners' home dominance over the Boston Red Sox, but he's learning quickly.

Jones had two hits and scored the go-ahead run due to some shoddy defense as the Mariners recorded their ninth straight home victory over the Red Sox, 7-4, on Friday.

With the game tied at 4-4 in the sixth inning, Jones reached on a throwing error by shortstop Julio Lugo to lead off the frame. The 21-year-old then took second on a pickoff attempt when Mike Timlin threw wild to first.

Timlin (1-1) compounded his mistake when he unsuccessfully tried to throw out Jones at third on a sacrifice. Jones then scored on a ground out by Yuniesky Betancourt to put Seattle up 5-4.

"It's indescribable," Jones said of his return to the big leagues. "Being back in front of the fans at Safeco was good and luckily I was able to play well tonight. Hopefully, I can maintain that."

"He brings so much to the table," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "There's not really anything he can't do and when it's all said and done he's going to do everything."

Kenji Johjima padded the lead with a two-run blast in the seventh - his 12th of the season - for Seattle (60-47), which has won seven of eight to climb within 2 1/2 games of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (63-45) for first place in the American League West Division.

Sean Green (5-1) threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings and J.J. Putz worked the ninth to record his AL-leading 32nd save in 34 chances.

Green came on in relief of starter Horacio Ramirez in the fifth with no outs, a run in and runners on first and second to face Manny Ramirez. Green got Ramirez to ground into an double play and Mike Lowell to ground out and end the inning without further damage.

"Green was huge, slamming the door when he did," McLaren said. "He's been doing it all year. I can't say enough good things about him."

Jones, Seattle's top prospect who was called up from Class AAA Tacoma prior to the game, was in the middle of a three-run fourth that helped Seattle take a 4-3 lead.

The Red Sox held a 3-1 lead in the fourth before Lester allowed a go-ahead three-run homer to Betancourt, who drove in a career-high four runs with the help of his sixth homer.

The 23-year-old Lester, who was making his second start since coming back from non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings and left after throwing 99 pitches.

"Going out and throwing five innings, giving up eight hits and four runs is not something you want to do," said Lester, who is from nearby Tacoma and pitched in front of family and friends. You want to go out and throw seven, eight, nine shutout innings and give your team a chance to win and I just didn't do that tonight. I just wasn't very good."

David Ortiz did his best to help the Red Sox break through in Seattle, but it was not enough.

Ortiz gave Boston a short-lived lead at 3-0 with his 19th homer of the season in the third and tied the game at 4-4 in the fifth with an RBI single.

Boston squandered opportunities early, loading the bases in the first and second and managing just two runs. With the bases loaded in the first Mike Lowell scored Dustin Pedroia with a single. On that play Ramirez made a base running mistake, getting double off at third when Kevin Youkilis decided to stay at third.

In the second the first three runners reached, but Pedroia hit into a double play that scored Wily Mo Pena and Youkilis grounded out.

"We had them on the ropes early and put up single runs where hopefully multiple runs would have spread it out, and we weren't able to do that," Boston manager Terry Francona said.