Furbush strong, M's take series

SEATTLE (AP) - Charlie Furbush allowed just one run in a career-best seven innings, Casper Wells homered and scored two runs and the Seattle Mariners beat Boston 5-3 on Sunday afternoon, taking two of three from the AL East-leading Red Sox.

For the first time since late June the Red Sox failed to win or split a series and their lead in the AL East dwindled to a half game with the New York Yankees getting rained out on Sunday.

Furbush held the Red Sox bats in check, giving up four hits in just his fifth start of the season. Furbush (3-4) struck out a career-high six and didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning.

Tim Wakefield lost his second straight decision and was knocked around by the Mariners for the second time this season. In late July, Wakefield gave up 10 hits and seven runs to Seattle in a victory.

For one afternoon, the deal the Mariners made with Detroit on July 30 to bring Wells and Furbush to Seattle looked very much a success. Wells homered for the second time in the series with Boston after hitting just two in his first nine games with the Mariners and Furbush threw possibly his finest game as a starter.

The Mariners were hoping Furbush could develop into another solid lefty in their rotation as a way to complement righties Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda. In his last outing in Texas, Furbush was knocked around for eight hits and six earned runs in just four innings.

He managed to keep the Red Sox under control on Sunday.

Furbush struck out five of the first 10 batters he faced and didn't give up a hit until Adrian Gonzalez's one-out single in the fourth inning. He was also efficient, getting through seven innings throwing just 95 pitches.

And he benefited from some defensive help as well. Dustin Pedroia was robbed of a base-hit leading off the fourth when Jack Wilson went horizontal to make a diving snag at shortstop. The out became even more important when the Red Sox got two more hits in the inning and a sacrifice fly from Jed Lowrie to cut Seattle's lead to 3-1.

Ichiro Suzuki also made a fine running catch in right-center field to rob Youkilis of extra bases with a runner on in the sixth.

Because of Youkilis' late homer the Mariners needed all of the cushion they built. Dustin Ackley capped a string of three straight singles leading off the fifth with a base hit to score Suzuki, and Wells followed with his third homer since coming over from Detroit leading off the sixth.

Mike Carp also extended his hitting streak to 14 games with an RBI single in the third inning when Seattle scored three times off Wakefield. Wilson and Franklin Gutierrez also had RBIs that inning.

Notes: The Red Sox last series loss came June 28-30 when they dropped two of three at Philadelphia. They had won or split 11 straight series. ... Boston manager Terry Francona said that Jon Lester will start Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader at home against Tampa Bay. Erik Bedard will start the second game. ... Seattle won a series against an American League team other than Oakland for the first time since taking three of four from Tampa Bay in early June. ... Pineda will make his 23rd start on Monday night for Seattle against Toronto. Pineda has just one victory since July 4, but threw six strong innings in a no decision in his last start at Texas.