G79: Mariners 7, Red Sox 6 (11)

Mariners - 001 300 010 02 - 7 13  0
Red Sox  - 200 000 120 01 - 6 11  0

George Kottaras hit his first major league home run in the 11th, but the Sox came up one run short.

Trailing 5-2 in the seventh, J.D. Drew belted a solo home run to dead center. With one out in the eighth, facing Sean White, Jason Bay walked and Mark Kotsay singled. Sean Kelley got Jacoby Ellsbury on a high fly to the track in left. Then Sean Green doubled high off the Wall, missing a home run by a few feet, but still tying the game at 5-5.

Seattle scored twice in the top of the 11th off Ramon Ramirez, with Rob Jonson's two-run double -- his third two-bagger of the night -- being the big blow.

Kottaras belted his dong to right-center with two outs in the bottom half of the 11th. Drew followed with a line drive single to right, but Dustin Pedroia grounded into a fielder's choice to end the game.

It was the first time Boston had played consecutive extra inning games since July 9 and 13, 2006. The first one was a 19-inning loss to the White Sox.

Wakefield: 8-10-5-0-3, 112. Manny Delcarmen and Jonathan Papelbon each pitched an effective inning of relief.

Drew, Green, Kottaras and Kotsay each had two hits; Green also walked and was the only Boston batter to reach base three times. Kevin Youkilis was 0-for-5, David Ortiz was 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored, and Pedroia was 1-for-6.

The Yankees beat the Blue Jays 4-2 earlier in the afternoon, so the Red Sox are now only 2 GA.

***

Felix Hernandez (2.54, 167 ERA+) / Tim Wakefield (4.18, 111 ERA+)

When Tim Wakefield throws his first pitch tonight, he will have started more games than any other pitcher in Red Sox history. The new Top 5:

Pitcher Starts
  
Tim Wakefield   383
Roger Clemens   382
Cy Young        297
Luis Tiant      238
Mel Parnell     232

(Also, if Wakefield is chosen for the All-Star team, he would be the second-oldest player selected for his first appearance. Satchel Paige was 46 in 1952.)

MLB.com:

Hernandez returns to the scene of one of his best career starts -- a one-hitter against the Red Sox at Fenway Park three years ago [April 11, 2007] -- on a big-time roll. The ace right-hander has surrendered five earned runs in his past 53 innings, striking out 51 over that span. His two-seam fastball has been his bread-and-butter pitch, and rookie catcher Rob Johnson has not been shy about calling for it.

***

Canadian-born Jason Bay became an American citizen on Thursday (photos):

My wife is American and both my girls are American as well. This is where I spend most of my time [Bay lives in Seattle]. Although it is a big deal, it doesn't mean I cease being Canadian. I'll always be Canadian.

Bay had a horrible road trip, going 6-for-36 (.167/.189/.250); in his first game at Washington, Bay went 4-for-6, so in his last seven games, he is 2-for-30, with one walk. On Wednesday he became the fifth Red Sox player to strike out five times in one game.

I'm completely getting myself out now. Timing-wise, I'm kind of in between - I can't hit the fastball, can't hit the breaking ball. It's just one of those situations where everything that could go wrong is going wrong.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is on his way to Florida to begin a conditioning and shoulder-strengthening program. ... The Globe has an interesting article on Nick Green, anger and stress management. ... Thursday's Astros-Padres game in San Diego was delayed 52 minutes because of bees.