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Boston gets three homers in 5-3 win Seattle

May 17, 2009 - 6:21 AM By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE(AP) -- Jason Bay reacted to the first fastball he saw and slugged it into the bullpen in left field.

That's expected from Boston's powerful left fielder.

Jeff Bailey, who was hitting just .167 with one homer entering Saturday night? He was happy to simply make a good swing. The ball just happened to land in almost the same spot as Bay's.

"It was just nice to hit a ball hard to be honest with you," Bailey said.

Bay's 11th homer, Bailey's second and Jason Varitek fifth long ball accounted for all of Boston's runs in a 5-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night snapping a three-game skid.

While David Ortiz and his slumping bat rested on the Red Sox bench as a spectator for the second straight game, Boston found some pop from other parts of its lineup.

"We'll take them," Boston manager Terry Francona said.

The trio of homers made a winner out of Boston starter Josh Beckett, who threw a season-high 120 pitches and completed seven innings, giving a break to a Red Sox bullpen that has been asked to pitch a lot recently. It was the seventh time in Beckett's career he's reached the 120-pitch mark and the first time in nearly three seasons.

The Red Sox ace gave up just four hits and two earned runs while striking out five. Beckett allowed only one hit after Russell Branyan's RBI double in the fourth - Ichiro Suzuki's infield single in the seventh - and Beckett struck out Suzuki, Ken Griffey Jr., and Adrian Beltre in the fifth.

By getting through the seventh, Beckett set up the situation perfectly for Francona. The combo of Hideki Okajima and Ramon Ramirez got through the eighth and Jonathon Papelbon worked the ninth for his AL-leading 10th save in as many attempts.

"I feel like personally I owe them a lot of innings," said Beckett, who made it through the seventh for just the second time this season. "It was nice. It would have been nicer to get even deeper than that. We've been really leaning on those guys."

All of Boston's pitchers were helped out defensively. Jacoby Ellsbury made a sliding catch in center on Suzuki's line drive for the first out in the first.

With the score 5-3 and a runner on third and none out in the fourth, Julio Lugo made a diving stop of a sharp drive by Wladimir Balentien that appeared headed for the outfield. He threw Balentien out saving a run, and Beckett got out of the jam.

"That's a reaction play, when you see the ball, dive and hope you get it," Lugo said.

Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu said being unable to get within one hampered what he was able to do later in the game.

"It's a different game at one run instead of two," Wakamatsu said. "Maybe we could manufacture some things."

Mike Lowell came through in the eighth with a runner on second, making diving stop on another grounder by Balentien.

Garrett Olson started in place of Erik Bedard, who was scratched on Friday with a sore hamstring. Olson (0-1) was making his first start with the Mariners after spending his entire career with Baltimore before this season. While it was his starting debut in Seattle, Olson's struggles with the Red Sox followed him to his new address.

Already 0-4 with a 7.76 ERA in his career versus Boston, Olson's control issues didn't help matters. He allowed only four hits, but also walked four and two came at critical times.

Olson issued a two-out walk to J.D. Drew in the first, before Bay's homer. An inning later, Olson walked Lugo with one out, then saw Varitek reach for a pitch outside the strike zone and line it out to left for his fifth homer and a 4-2 Boston lead.

Bailey then golfed the first pitch of the fifth inning out for his second homer.

"Giving up a home run with somebody on base due to a walk is really troublesome," Olson said. "It's hard to take."

Yuniesky Betancourt hit a two-run homer in the second on a 1-2 pitch that Beckett left over the plate.

Notes: Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 10 games. ... Francona said before Saturday's game that Ortiz would get Saturday and Sunday off, giving him an extended break before Boston opens a homestand Tuesday against Toronto. Ortiz didn't play on Friday and is hitting .208.