RED SOX RECAP;LACKEY'S WORTHY;On this night, righty leads Sox to victory

John Lackey has allowed more hits than any pitcher in the majors, hardly the trademark of an $82.5 million ace. But the Red Sox don't have buyer's remorse, either. ''When (GM) Theo (Epstein) told me what was happening, I was thrilled. And I'm still thrilled,'' manager Terry Francona said, recalling the football jersey
decision last winter to sign Lackey as a free agent.
''Safe to say, whenever he pitches, we feel pretty good about our chances.'' Lackey gave the Sox an excellent chance last night. He logged eight innings and notched a season-high 10 strikeouts in a 6-3 victory over the lowly Mariners between the raindrops in Fenway Park. ''He's been throwing the ball good, man, don't get me wrong,'' catcher Victor Martinez said, ''but today was the best I've seen from him the whole season.'' Even after Lackey fumbled a 3-1 lead partially provided by shortstop Marco Scutaro's bases-loaded, two-out, two-run single in the fifth inning, Scutaro restored the lead with another two-run single in the seventh. And this time, Lackey made sure it held up. He retired six of the last seven batters he faced before Jonathan Papelbon tossed a scoreless ninth for his 31st save. And with the Yankees losing in Toronto, the Sox inched to within 5 1/2 games of the AL East lead. ''We've definitely got a team that can roll off some wins,'' Lackey said after the team's third straight. ''We've got a lot of veteran guys that have been on some good clubs. We've just got to perform to our capabilities, and we'll be in the mix for the long haul, for sure.''
STAR OF THE GAME
Injuries? What injuries? Over the past two weeks, shortstop Marco Scutaro has been bothered by right shoulder discomfort, the latest in a line of nagging ailments that have plagued him since spring training. But it hasn't bothered him at the plate. Scutaro notched a two-out, two-run single in the fifth inning and another two-run single in the Chicago Bears jersey
seventh, matching his career-high with four RBI. In his last nine games, Scutaro is 15-for-40 (.375). ''Oh man, he's swinging the bat pretty good right now,'' catcher Victor Martinez said. ''He's done it before.''
GLOVE WORK
A pair of errors helped contribute to all Seattle runs. In the third inning, second baseman Jed Lowrie was unable to handle a tricky hop on an infield single by Chone Figgins, allowing Ryan Langerhans to score from second base. Then, in the sixth, pitcher John Lackey botched a one-out comebacker, turning a potential inning-ending double play into a bases-loaded one-out jam. Casey Kotchman followed with a two-run single to tie the game. ''I just missed it, no excuses,'' Lackey said. ''Not a good play. I was thinking of going to either second or third. Lost the Gold Glove, I guess.''
SLUMPING
Mike Lowell singled in the eighth inning, marking his 1,600th career hit. But he also struck out three times, and he's just 4-for-23 on the homestand, lowering his average to .229.
THEY SAID IT
''I mean, overall, it's been frustrating just because of all the injuries, all the stuff. On the other hand, you have to give credit to the guys who've been called up and the guys on the bench. They've done a very good job, and they're probably the reason why we're in the race.''
- Red Sox shortstop Marco Scutaro
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Here's a riddle: How is it that a pitcher can look so dominant in one moment, then so New Orleans Saints jersey
wretched the next? Don't ask the Red Sox, to whom right-hander Josh Beckett has been harder to figure than the Sphinx. From start to start, even within a start, the Sox aren't sure what to expect from Beckett, who allowed five runs in 20 2/3 innings for a 2.18 ERA in his first three starts after returning from the disabled list last month. In his three most recent starts, he has given up 19 runs in 16 innings for a 10.69 ERA.