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Matsuzaka wins 13th against Mariners

Aug 5, 2007 - 6:57 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA Sportsticker Contributing Writer

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jason Varitek helped the Boston Red Sox finally defeat the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

Matsuzaka pitched seven effective innings and Varitek doubled in two runs as the Red Sox snapped a nine-game losing streak in Seattle with a 4-3 victory over the Mariners on Saturday.

Matsuzaka (13-8) became the first Red Sox rookie to win 13 games since Don Schwall in 1961 as he tied a career high with 10 strikeouts. The Japanese righthander allowed just two runs and six hits with two walks.

"He was good," Varitek said of Matsuzaka. "He was able to utilize his other stuff and he threw some really good changeups tonight and that was very nice to see."

It was the third time this season Matsuzaka struck out 10 batters and first since April 17 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

"Despite letting runners on base I was able to battle through and prevent some runs from scoring," Matsuzaka said.

Mariners manager John McLaren heaped praise on Matsuzaka.

"Matsuzuka has the ability to raise his game when he has to," McLaren said. He was something special. He made some pitches and pitched out of a couple of jams. He showed me something tonight. You don't have a lot of pitchers that have that ability. Randy (Johnson) did and (Roger) Clemens did. I'm really impressed with this guy."

Eric Gagne surrendered a run and three hits in the eighth inning, but Jonathan Papelbon worked around a pair of two-out walks in the ninth to register his 25th save of the season.

Varitek provided the Red Sox with a 2-1 advantage in the fourth inning, when his double to left field off Mariners starter Jarrod Washburn (8-8) plated David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.

The loss deprived the Mariners of a chance to move within 1 1/2 games of the American League West Division-leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who suffered a 2-1 setback to the Oakland Athletics. They also remain one-half game back of the Detroit Tigers in the wild card race.

Boston, which had not won at Seattle since July 22, 2006, maintained its seven-game advantage in the AL East over the New York Yankees.

The Red Sox scored a pair of runs in the sixth with the help of a throwing error by right fielder Jose Guillen.

Kevin Youkilis hit a leadoff double and Ortiz singled to right. Guillen's throw to third wound up in the stands, allowing Youkilis to score and Ortiz to take second.

Ramirez followed with an RBI double to center, increasing Boston's advantage to 4-1.

Washburn lasted 6 1/3 innings, giving up four runs and eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts. The lefthander remained winless in his last five starts.

"This is how we've been all season long," Washburn said. "There's no quit in this clubhouse and our ballclub keeps fighting until the last out is made. We never think we're out of a game. Good ballclubs do that."

Adrian Beltre's 17th blast of the season in the second inning gave the Mariners an early 1-0 lead. Yuniesky Betancourt led off the seventh with his second homer in as many games, trimming Boston's lead to 4-2.

The Mariners squandered several opportunities to put runs on the board against the 26-year-old Matsuzaka.

Seattle loaded the bases with one out in the third but could not score as Matsuzaka struck out Guillen on three pitches and got Raul Ibanez on a flyout to end the inning.

The Mariners had runners on the corners with one out in the fourth, but Jose Lopez grounded into a double play to end the threat.

Matsuzaka got into trouble again in the sixth, when he hit leadoff batter Ibanez and walked Beltre. But Ben Broussard struck out and Kenji Johjima popped out before Lopez fanned on three pitches.