The Boston Red Sox turned to two-time 20-game winner Bartolo Colon on Friday night to try to extend their 13-game home winning streak, as he put forth the effort to continue his own personal success, having won his first three starts in a Red Sox uniform.

They came into the game needing to prove that the team was fine after Thursday's fiasco with the Tampa Bay Rays.  Not only was there an inter-squad brawl that resulted in 38 games of suspensions issued to eight perpetrators, there was also a fisticuff between Red Sox teammates Kevin Youkilis and  Manny Ramirez. 

In addition to this trouble in paradise, manager Terry Francona is having to contend with a suddenly depleted Red Sox lineup.  In the fourth inning of Thursday's game, outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury sprained his right wrist making a diving catch.  MRI results were negative, but Ellsbury is still day-to-day.  On Tuesday, designated hitter David Ortiz was placed on the 15-day DL, though he will be far from recovered when he is eligible to play again on June 18, when the Sox will be wrapping up a three-game set in Philadelphia.  Early reports indicate that Ortiz will be out for at least a month.  The Sox other slugger, Ramirez, was replaced yesterday after he tweaked his right hamstring during an at bat in the seventh inning, and he also sat out Friday's game because of the injury.  Outfielder Brandon Moss, who started the season in Japan with the Red Sox, was recalled to fill in while Ramirez recovers. Chris Carter was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket to make room for Moss.

So, with the Red Sox facing a great deal of adversity only two days after reclaiming first place in the AL East, the question was not so much could they beat the lowly Seattle Mariners, who were facing some adversity of their own, but it was of how well they could put Thursday night behind them.  The answer was not very well.

Things got of to an inauspicious start in the top of the first when, with one out, Colon surrendered a single to Jose Lopez and then walked Raul Ibanez.  When Colon snared an Adrian Beltre ground ball and spun around to second base, it started to look like the Sox would get out of the first unscathed.  However, miscommunication between second baseman Dustin Pedroia and shortstop Julio Lugo--neither of them covered second base--caused Colon's throw to sail into center field, allowing Lopez to score from second.  The Mariners added another run on a fielder's choice and quickly were up 2-0.

The Mariners added another run in the third, aided by Colon's second error of the night and what was ruled as a throwing error on Mike Lowell, but probably should have been charged to Youkilis instead.  The Mariners tacked on two more in the fourth, another in the fifth and then closed out the scoring with two runs in the seventh, handing the Red Sox their first home loss since the Blue Jays downed them, 3-0, on May 1.

The Mariners entered the contest 15.5 games behind the LA Angels, a franchise worst through 60 games, which sparked manager John McLaren to lose it after a losing effort on Wednesday night.  In the first game since that explosion, the Mariners' offense provided what turned out to be more than enough run-support for ace Felix Hernandez, who continued his dominance at Fenway Park.  While Ichiro Suzuki, Jose Vidro and Richie Sexson led the M's with two RBI each, the star of the game was Felix Hernandez.  In his second career start in Boston, Hernandez went six innings strong, allowing no runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out five.  The impressive performance improved his record to 4-5 on the year and will certainly make Red Sox fans dwell the next time he starts in Boston.  In two career starts at Fenway, Hernandez is 2-0, having allowed zero runs on seven hits and five walks, while striking out eleven in fifteen innings worked.

Colon allowed six runs, three earned, on eight hits and one walk, while striking out two in five innings pitched.  The eight hits are the most that he has allowed since joining the Red Sox.  In filling in for Manny Ramirez, Brandon Moss went 1-for-4 with a double and three strikeouts, stranding three runners.  J.D. Drew stayed hot for the Sox, going 2-for-3 and raising his June batting average to a whopping .526.