Evenflow

It took 12 innings but the Red Sox left Seattle with a three-game sweep after outlasting the Mariners, 6-3, yesterday afternoon at Safeco Field.

Manny Ramirez sat out with a "sore knee" so the Sox (60-43) had to juggle the lineup while facing Seattle (38-63) ace Felix Hernandez.

King Felix was good, not great as the patient Sox waited him out and forced him to throw 108 pitches in six innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits with five walks and six strikeouts.

Clay Buchholz pleasantly surprised Red Sox fans, nearly matching Hernandez's outing. Buchholz lasted 5.1 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Another even more important revelation for Boston's postseason hopes was the debut of Justin Masterson in the role of reliever.

Coming in with two men on and one out in the sixth, Masterson struck out Kenji Johjima (who's having a brutal season) and Bryan LaHair (the pride of Worcester) to end the threat. Masterson then proceeded to have 1-2-3 innings in the seventh and eighth. Yes sir.

Hideki Okajima got the first two outs in the ninth and then Manny Delcarmen bailed him out by getting out of the inning and also pitching a clean 10th.

For the third game in a row, Jonathan Papelbon pitched a scoreless frame (this time the 11th) but he received the win after Craig Hansen recorded his second career save in the 12th.

Up three runs and starting the inning, Hansen couldn't asked for a much easier situation then facing the light-hitting Mariners yet two hits and a walk loaded the bases before Jose Vidro (the potential winning run) grounded out to second.

The Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third when Kevin Youkilis (2 hits, 2 runs) knocked in two with a single.

Raul Ibanez came back with a solo homer in the fourth, cutting it to 2-1 Boston.

In the sixth, Coco Crisp walked with the bases loaded, 3-1 Red Sox. Vidro (3 hits, 2 RBIs, walk) tied it up with a two-run bomb which ended the day for Buchholz.

Seattle had a great chance to end it in the 11th when they had runners at first and third with one out but Johjima was the goat, grounding into a double play against Papelbon.

Mike Lowell (2 hits, 2 runs, RBI) knocked in two Sox in the 12th with a single and Sean Casey followed with an RBI single of his own to give Boston the three-run cushion that it turns out was critical to Hansen.

Dustin Pedroia had two hits, a run and walk while J.D. Drew walked three times and scored a run.

The West Coast trip to start the second half wasn't the disaster that it looked like it could be after facing the Angels; the Red Sox did exactly what they had to do in Seattle and now have a day off today before facing the Yankees tomorrow night in a three-game set at Fenway.

True to their recent second half form, the Yankees are red-hot, winning six straight and 10 overall at Yankee Stadium. Josh Beckett faces Joba Chamberlain tomorrow night in what should be an outstanding pitching duel. Adding fuel to the usual Sox-Yankees hype, David Ortiz will make his return after missing nearly two months of action.