Mariners Hardly Earn It

Freddy Garcia won for the second time since the All-Star break and the Seattle Mariners used four unearned runs in the fourth inning to edge the Boston Red Sox, 4-3, Thursday night at Seattle.

Carlos Guillen, Ichiro Suzuki and Jeff Cirillo had RBI singles as Seattle increased its lead in the American League West to 1 1/2 games over the Angels.

Cliff Floyd homered for Boston, which dropped six games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East and 2 1/2 back of the Angels in the wild-card race.

Garcia (13-8) outpitched Casey Fossum as the Mariners took two of three games in the series. Seattle opens a three-game set against the Yankees on Friday night.

Garcia pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up three runs, seven hits and four walks, with seven strikeouts. In seven starts since pitching in the All-Star game on July 9, the right-hander is 2-3 with a 6.38 earned-run average.

Arthur Rhodes pitched 2 1/3scoreless innings, striking out four of the seven batters he faced. Kazuhiro Sasaki worked the ninth for his 30th save in 35 opportunities, retiring Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez and Floyd in order.

The Mariners took a 4-1 lead in the fourth. All their runs were unearned because second baseman Rey Sanchez dropped shortstop Garciaparra’s short toss for an error on Ruben Sierra’s potential double-play grounder.

Edgar Martinez doubled to lead off the inning and John Olerud walked before Sierra’s grounder loaded the bases.

Dan Wilson tied it at 1 with a sacrifice fly. Guillen, Suzuki and Cirillo then hit consecutive RBI singles.

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New York 7, Kansas City 5--Raul Mondesi hit a two-run homer with one out in the ninth inning and Bernie Williams went five for fiveas the Yankees rallied for a victory at Kansas City, Mo., to complete a three-game sweep over the Royals.

Williams led off the ninth against Roberto Hernandez (1-3) with a single, tying his career high with five hits. He moved to second on a groundout, bringing up Mondesi, who hit his 23rd homer.

Jorge Posada added an RBI single for the Yankees, who matched last year’s total by winning for the 17th time in their last at-bat and moved a season-high 31 games over .500.

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Tampa Bay 4, Cleveland 3--Andy Sheets hit a game-ending, three-run homer with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead the Devil Rays past the Indians at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Karim Garcia’s two-run homer had given the Indians a 3-1 lead in the top of the ninth, the Devil Rays rallied.

Aubrey Huff and Steve Cox had consecutive one-out singles against Mark Wohlers (2-3), before Sheets’ fourth homer of the season.

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Baltimore 3, Minnesota 1--Melvin Mora hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning to lift Jason Johnson and the Orioles at Minneapolis.

Chris Singleton also homered for the Orioles, who have won five of their six against Minnesota.