Mariners Slow Down Red Sox, 7-1

Bobby Madritsch pitched eight shutout innings, and the Seattle Mariners ended a seven-game losing streak Thursday night with a 7-1 victory over Boston, dropping the Red Sox 3 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the American League East.

The Red Sox, who had won four in a row, 14 of 15 and 20 of 22, committed two errors that accounted for five unearned runs. A dropped fly ball by left fielder Manny Ramirez led to four unearned runs in the fifth.

Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki singled off Tim Wakefield’s glove in the first inning to break his own AL record for singles in a season. Suzuki, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games, had 192 singles as a rookie in 2001. He also singled in the eighth and has 194 singles this season.

Suzuki was two for four, giving him 229 hits. He is trying to break the major league record of 257, set by George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns in 1920. Suzuki has 23 games left. He leads the majors with a .378 batting average.

Mariner rookie Jose Lopez hit a two-run homer off Wakefield and had a pair of doubles against the knuckleballer.

New York 9-10, Tampa Bay 1-5 -- Gary Sheffield and Tony Clark each drove in two runs during a seven-run second inning, and the Yankees completed a doubleheader sweep at New York.

John Flaherty and Derek Jeter homered for the Yankees, who outhit the Devil Rays, 26-18, in the doubleheader. Jeter was five for nine with a homer and three runs batted in in the two games.

The Yankees won all four games in the rain-shortened series and have won five in a row overall.

Mike Mussina (10-9) threw eight sharp innings in the opener, which started with only a few hundred fans in the stands.

Tanyon Sturtze (6-2) gave up two hits and walked one in 3 2/3 scoreless relief innings to win the second game.

Chicago 7, Texas 3 -- Mark Buehrle pitched a three-hitter at Arlington, Texas, for his second complete game of the season, sending the Rangers to their ninth loss in 11 games.

Paul Konerko and Joe Crede homered for the White Sox, who have won six of seven.