Bo-Sox Slide By Mariners

Jason Varitek is making sure Boston's wild-card lead doesn't disappear while the Red Sox are out west.

Varitek's third homer in two games helped lead Boston over the Seattle Mariners 3-2 Monday.

Boston, which began the day with a two-game lead over Oakland in the AL wild-card race, broke a 1-all tie in the sixth on Butch Huskey's RBI double.

"This is a very big win for us," Huskey said. "This is the road trip of the year for us. We did a good job here by winning three out of four. Now we have to go to Oakland and take care of business."

"It seems that every ball that I hit well was caught over the fence," Varitek said. "It's nice to see that I hit a few of these far enough where they couldn't catch them."

Boston starter Kent Mercker left after 3 1-3 innings. He collided with Wilton Veras when the third baseman caught Charles Gipson's fouled bunt attempt in the third, then came out to start the fourth.

"I think he's all right," Red Sox manager Jimy Williams said. "He wanted to stay out there and finish the inning, but that is not the right thing to do. We're going to need him down the stretch."

Bryce Florie (3-1) replaced Mercker with one out and allowed two runs one earned and one hit in 2 2-3 innings. Derek Lowe pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save.

Halama allowed three runs and nine hits in eight-pls innings. In his first two appearances against the Red Sox, he was tagged for 10 runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings.

"Halama did a great job," Varitek said. "If you hold a team to three runs and pitch into the ninth, you've done your job. He kept guys off balance by utilizing all of his pitches very well."

Seattle manager Lou Piniella was ejected in the third by first-base umpire Travis Katzenmeier for arguing a checked-swing strikeout on David Bell. Piniella has been ejected five times this season, all since July 25.

Nomar Garciaparra went 1-for-4 and finished the series 8-for-16, raising his average to .353.

"They have somebody who stands up all the time," Piniella said.

Varitek's 16th homer of the season put Boston ahead in the second. But Seattle tied the score in the fifth when Russ Davis walked, advanced on Dan Wilson's grounder and scored from second when Ryan Jackson hit a ball to first baseman Mike Stanley, who booted it for an error.

Huskey's double in the sixth followed Stanley's single. Davis hit an RBI single in the bottom half.

The Mariners struggled to hit with runners in scoring position in the series. They were 1-for-11 with one RBI in the game, and 5-for-35 with 5 RBI in the series.

"We didn't hit with runners on base," Piniella said. "We left too many stranded."

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