Fresh off being named the American League's best pitcher for the month of June, Felix Hernandez takes on the high-flying Red Sox in his first July start.

Hernandez is 3-1 with a 3.05 earned run average against Boston in his career,but the issue tonight - as always - may be offense.

The Mariners don't hit knuckle baller Tim Wakefield.

Ichiro (.240), Ken Griffey Jr. (259), Russell Branyan (.182) have all struggled with him, Ryan Langerhans, Rob Johnson and Ronny Cedeno have never faced him.

So who to look for? Jose Lopez has a .333 career average with three doubles and a home run against Wakefield.

It's Seattle (40-38) vs. Boston (48-30) at Fenway Park on the Fourth of July weekend. This is baseball.

First-inning trouble

Felix is mortal.

Dustin Pedroia singled, David Ortiz walked and Jason Bay - in an 0-for-17 streak - doubled home a run.

Felix then wild-pitched home a second run before sriking out Mark Kotsay. He's down two runs.

After one: Red Sox 2, Mariners 0

Mariners answer

Rob Johnson opened the third inning with a double, and back-to-back singles from Ichiro and Russell Branyan got him home.

With Ichiro perched on second base, Lopez and Griffey each popped out.

In the third: Red Sox 2, Mariners 1

And answer again

Langerhans doubled with one out - and yes, that will probably keep him in the lineup another day - and with two outs, Rob Johnson doubled him home.

No. 9 hitter Cedeno then homered to straightaway center field. Yes, Cedeno.

In the fourth: Mariners 4, Red Sox 2

He's still Felix

This isn't his finest game, but Hernandez can still raise his energy when needed. With two outs and two men on - both in scoring position - Felix threw a 96 mph fastball that absolutely froze Nick Green for a third strike.

Every pitcher gets in trouble. Not many of them can get out of it like that.

After six: Mariners 4, Red Sox 2

Sox get closer

J.D. Drew launched a Felix fastball over the wall in center, his 11th home run of the season, and cut Seattle's lead to one.

One run leads are delicate, anywhere, but in Fenway Park?

Yikes!

After seven: Mariners 4, Red Sox 3

A timely swing

Mr. Lopez provided the Mariners with a two-run lead, courtesy of his 11th home run, which landed in the seats atop Fenway's Green Monster.

Now it's up to the bullpen - and Sean White is in the game.

In the eighth: Mariners 5, Red Sox 3

Not tonight, Felix

Hernandez threw a grueling 105 pitches, didn't seem to have much left and came out after seven innings with a two-run lead.

Didn't last.

Sean White, looking like someone other than the Sean White we've seen all season, got one out, gave up a walk and a single and came out, replaced by rookie Shawn Kelley.

Kelley got the second out, then gave up Nick Green's two-run, game-tying double.

That means no win for Felix, and it may mean something is wrong with White.

After eight: Mariners 5, Red Sox 5

It takes a village

Chris Jakubauskas has thrown two scoreless innings to keep Seattle in this one, and he's throwing harder in relief than he did as a starting pitcher.

In the rotation early this season, Jakubauskas topped out at 92 mph. Out of the bullpen, he's hitting 94 mph regularly.

What the Mariners need now is a run.

In the 11th: Mariners 5, Red Sox 5

That's a record

Much malligned for his hitting, catcher Rob Johnson delivered a one-out, two-run double into right field - his third double of the night.

That ties the franchise record for doubles in a game, and puts Seattle ahead by two.

In something of a surprise, Mark Lowe is on to close. David Aardsma finished Thursday's game in New York but threw a lot of pitches in a long ninth inning.

It's up to Lowe.

In the 11th: Mariners 7, Red Sox 5

And in the end

Lowe was hitting 99 mph on the Fenway Park radar gun and got two quick outs, then gave up a solo home run to catcher George Kottaras.

That not only cut the lead to one, it got the game to outfielder J.D. Drew, who'd homered in the seventh inning.

What to do?

Lowe went to a 3-2 count, then gave up single to right field, bringing up Dustin Pedroia - the reigning American League MVP.

He grounded out.

Final score: Mariners 7, Red Sox 6

For the first time in his career, Felix Hernandez has been named the American League Pitcher of the Month - winning the award for a June in which he went 3-0 in five starts with an 0.94 earned run average.

In those five starts, Felix worked 38 1/3 innings, struck out 35 batters and posted the lowest June ERA in major league baseball.

"It wasn't a surprise, was it?" joked pitching coach Rick Adair. "Along with everything else he did, he saved our bullpen every fifth day. I pretty much left him alone."

The month included his third career shutout, against San Diego, and at one point he threw 20 consecutive scoreless innings.
Hernandez has always loved the month of June, and his career record in it is 11-2 with a 2.55 ERA in 19 starts.

"Since spring training, Felix has just been getting better and better," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "The way he carries himself, on the field and in the clubhouse. It's like a lot of things have clicked.

"He's become more efficient, and his competitive nature is always there."

What's the award get him? A big-screen television.

Rookie right-hander Shawn Kelley came off the disabled list today and will rejoin the Seattle Mariners bullpen tonight in Boston.

"I was having breakfast with my wife in Kirkland yesterday when they called," Kelley said. "They said 'Go pack' and I did. I flew all day and almost missed a connection, but I'm here and I'm ready to pitch."
The move gives manager Don Wakamatsu another power arm to work the late innings in setting up closer David Aardsma.

To make room for Kelley, the team optioned first baseman Mike Carp back to Tacoma, where he'll play regularly.

Kelley made the team out of spring training and had become a reliable seventh and eighth-inning reliever until he was felled in May by a pulled oblique muscle.

"I only had a month in the big leagues, but I learned so much," he said. "The time I missed seemed a lot longer than the time I played. I'm just glad I've got the whole second half of the season to pitch."

The bullpen now has Aardsma, Mark Lowe, Sean White, Roy Corcoran, Miguel Batista, Kelley and Chris Jakubauskas.

According to ESPN's Jorge Arangure and Baseball America, the Mariners have signed 16-year-old outfielder Guillermo Pimentel for an estimated $2 million signing bonus.

There was a minor controversy that the Rangers had gotten a verbal agreement from Pimentel earlier this year, but apparently he changed his mind.

But remember the Rangers are not exactly doing so well financially these days. Though they did have an international signing in Jurickson Profar.

Here's a list and scouting reports of the top Latin free agents this season.

Obviously it's tough to predict what a 16-year-old kid will do, but the Mariners success in scouting and signing Latin American players is pretty substantial. There's this guy, that's a pitcher, his name is Felix Hernandez, seemed to be a pretty good signing. He signed for $710,000. Now he's the AL Pitcher of the Month.

Other players the Mariners have signed include Jose Lopez, Carlos Triunfel, Yuni Betancourt, Jharmidy DeJesus, Michael Pineda

While $2 million seems like a lot for a 16-year-old, the Cardinals dished more than $3 million for outfielder Wagner Mateo.

Columnist John McGrath weighed in with his thoughts on the Mateo signing.

After they acquired him in trade for Mike Morse, the Seattle Mariners let outfielder Ryan Langerhans acclimate to a new team before putting him into a game.

So tonight, against lefty C.C. Sabathia, guess who's in left field?

Not Wladimir Balentien, a right-handed hitter, but the left-handed hitting Langerhans. Maybe it was their history: Balentien had never faced Sabathia, Langerhans had - and walked in his only plate appearance.

"We've been waiting for consistency from Balentien, but he'll have one good game, one bad game," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "We need to see production from him against left-handed pitchers, and I haven't seen it.

"Langerhan's numbers aren't much different against lefties and righties, he'll give you good defense and I wanted to get him some at-bats. So he's in there."

It's Jason Vargas vs. Sabathia, and to make a little more one-sided, Vargas has battled 'flu-like' symptoms all day.

It only looks like the Yankees are licking their chops.

Hey ... a lead!

Ichiro doubled, stole third base and scored when Jose Lopez grounded out - producing the first Mariners lead in this three-game series.

In the first: Mariners 1, Yankees 0

Hey ... a bigger lead!

Franklin Gutierrez led off the second inning with a home run, his eighth of the season. Gutierrez has four of those homers in his last 11 games.

Kenji Johjima followed the home run with a single, and in his first at-bat as a Mariner, Ryan Langerhans singled to right field, getting Joh to third base.

Chris Woodward hit a sacrifice fly to get Johjima home.

Langerhans was caught stealing for the third out, though the umpire was waving 'safe' until Langerhans slid on by the second base bag and was tagged again.

In the second: Mariners , Yankees 0

Hey ... a smaller lead

Yanks used a walk, a doule and a sacrifice fly to push home one - and Vargas looks like a man with flu-like conditions.
When he's had to run to back up a base, he looks gassed.

Hideki Matsui flied to right field, where Ichiro dropped the ball for an error as a second run scored.

Ichiro caught a fly ball for the third out, started to throw it into the crowd and then gloved it and ran off.

Yankees fans booed him all the way to the dugout.

After two: Mariners 3, Yankees 2

Working the horse

Sabathia is a beast, a man who gobbles up innings, but the Mariners are making him labor every inning.

They're taking pitches, working the count, making Sabathia throw often on a muggy night.

In the fourth, Gutierrez and Johjima singled and Langerhans was robbed of extra bases by center fielder Melky Cabera, who made a fine running catch.

Gutierrez took third on that play, then scored on Woodward's single - Woodward's second RBI of the night and season.

Ichiro worked the count to 2-2, then doubled over Cabrera's head for two more runs. The Yankee bullpen is up before the Mariners bullpen - hard to believe, given all the circumstances.

Sabathia has thrown 81 pitches.

In the fourth: Mariners 6, Yankees 2

Yankee power

New York struck back in typical Yankee fashion - using the home run.

Robinson Cano singled, but with two outs Vargas was a pitch away from closing out the fourth inning.

Wrong pitch.

His first offering to Matsui became the DH's 11th home run, a drive well over the wall in right field.

After four: Mariners 6, Yankees 4

Goodnight Mr. Vargas, hello Mr. Batista

Whatever bug nibbled at Vargas all day denied him the chance to win this game. Out after four innings, he gave what he had and now will drink lots of water and watch the results.

Batista came in and worked a 1-2-3 fifth inning.

It's up to the bullpens

Seattle chased Sabathia, loading the bases with two outs in the sixth inning.

Yankee right-hander Alfredo Aceves came in to face Lopez and struck him out.

In the sixth: Mariners 6, Yankees 4

Stalking a win

Batista went two scoreless innings, Mark Lowe worked around a leadoff double in the sevenh inning and Seattle is still up two.

They may wish they'd delivered in that bases loaded sitiuation, though. The Yankees have the heart or the order coming up in the eighth, and the man who usually handles that inning - Sean White - was hit hard two nights ago.

Hold on. Should be a fun finish.

And in the ninth

Don Wakamatsu chose to stay with Lowe for the eighth inning and got a 1-2-3 inning from the right-hander.
Then the Yankees blinked.

Ichiro was safe on a Mark Teixeira error - his first in 107 games - and Russell Branyan followed up three strike outs and a walk with his 20th home run of the season.

That gave Seattle a four-run lead and erased the save opportunity, but since David Aardsma was already working in the bullpen and hasn't pitched in this series, he'll work the bottom of the ninth inning.

In the ninth: Mariners 8, Yankees 4

That does it
Aardsma closed it out and the Mariners are now 3-3 on this trip, 40-38 for the season.
'Dis them all you want, scream agbout their offense, but they are a scrappy bunch.

Batista got the win, Gutierrez and Branyan hit the home runs and Langerhans went 2-for-4 - probably vaulting him ahead of Balentien on the new outfield depth chart.

It's a final: Mariners 8, Yankees 4

Fresh off another loss in which they couldn't get over the great three-run barrier, the Seattle Mariners know what their offensive problems are.

On nights when their top two hitters - Ichiro Suzuki and Russell Branyan - don't reach base, scoring is going to be an issue.

Beyond those two, the Mariners don't have any regular hitting as high as .280.

They do, however, have two batting under .200.

Compare, for a moment, the bottom four hitters in Seattle's lineup Wednesday to the last four in New York's.

The Mariners?

Wladimir Balentien: .225 wih three home runs and 10 RBI. Chris Woodward, batting .333 in six games, no home runs, no RBI. Rob Johnson, batting .187 with no home runs, 13 RBI. And Ronny Cedeno, batting .140 with three home runs and eight RBI.

The Yankees?
Robinson Cano (.300, 12, 42), Nick Swisher (.238, 14, 39) Melkey Cabrera (.287, 8, 32) and Cody Ransom (.190, 0, 8).

Cano, Swisher and Cabrera each have more RBI than all four of those Mariners combined.

The Balentien experiment has run its course, Woodward is a useable reserve infielder, as is Cedeno - but neither is an every day player. And Johnson may be a better catcher than Kenji Johjima, but neither is hitting this season.

The Mariners don't see an outfielder, third baseman, middle infielder or catcher in their system ready to replace anyone currently on the 25-man roster.

After 77 games, including 37 in which they've scored three runs or less, it may be time to push a few of those young prospects and see what the franchise has that's worth keeping.

That might bringing up out-of-position players like Chris Shelton or Bryan LaHair and trying them on for size.

Mike Wilson has played only five games since coming off a sprained ankle? Can he be worse than Balentien?
This team, its general manager and manager have done marvelous jobs thinking outside the norm this season - and it's gotten them to the brink of the All-Star break with a 39-38 record.

It's time to start thinking again, about the second half, about next year, about letting players without a future in the organization move on.

If you're going to lose games by only scoring two runs, you can do that with almost anyone. Why not try doing better with someone else?

Ah, what a fine old month June was for the Mariners, who finished it with a 15-10 record, a 2.98 earned run average and a .270 batting average.

Not surprisingly, Ichiro Suzuki led he way - batting .407 with 44 hits. If you're counting, that's 20 times Ichiro has had 40 hits or more in a month.

How rare is that? Well, the last American League player to do it was named Lou Gehrig.

The Mariners open July with a 39-37 record, 3 1/2 games behind the Angels in the American League West.

They open against New York, Jarrod Washburn vs. Andy Pettitte.

Time for the anthem!

The first threat

Ken Griffey Jr. and Franklin Gutierez singled to open the second inning - and never moved up a base.

That's becaus Pettitte set down Wladimir Balentien, Chris Woodward and Rob Johnson in order.

No score.

First score

Johnny Damon just missed the foul pole with a long drive for a strike. On a 3-2 pitch, Washburn came vack with a fastball and Damon hit it out to right field.

It was Damon's 15th of the season, and it put the Mariners behind again. They haven't had a lead in their two games here yet.

After three: Yankees 1, Mariners 0

Tie game

Seattle came right back in the fourth inning, when Jose Lopez doubled and took third on a fly ball by Ken Griffey Jr.

Gutierrez walked and Wladimir Balentien grounded to first and just did beat the throw to avoid a double play and allow Lopez to score.

Proving he cannot get out of his own way, Balentien was then picked off first base by Pettitte.

In the fourth: Mariners 1, Yankees 1

It's gone - or is it?

Melky Cabrera hit a ball that hugged the foul line all the way into the stands, then watched it called a fair ball - home run.

The Mariners argued and the play was reviewed by the umpiring crew, which returned to the field and agreed with itself - home run!

Seattle is behind again.

After five: Yankees 2, Mariners 1

Just plain gone

With two outs, Junior turned on the first pitch Pettitte threw him and hit his 10th home run of the season.

No, he's no longer a cleanup hitter - although that's what he's is tonight - but Griffey seems to be emerging from a malaise at the plate. Two hits tonight, one of them a game-tying home run.

In the sixth: Mariners 2, Yankees 2

A-Rod hits A-homer

How quickly can a game turn? Mark

Teixeira singled to open the sixth and Alex Rodriguez then hit a knee-high fastball over the fence in center field.

Game changed.

After six: Yankees 4, Mariners 2

Where's the offense?

In 77 games this year, the Mariners have scored three runs or less 37 times - and won just 10 of those games.

The numbers don't lie. If Seattle doesn't improve it's offense, well-pitched games are going to get away all too often.

With weapons like Adrian Beltre and Endy Chavez now off the table, this team needs helps.

Final score: Yankees 4, Mariners 2