Bottom 9, 4:11 Mariners win 3-2. George Kottaras pinch hit for Julio Lugo, but struck out on a close fastball on the outside corner. Saito picks up the loss and Roy Corcoran gets the win.

Middle 9, 4:05 Saito strikes out Cedeno and gets Ichiro to fly out. The Mariners strand three runners and the Sox will roll out Ellsbury, Kotsay and Lugo, barring some pinch hit adjustments.

With that eighth inning wallball double to tie the game last night, has Nick Green earned Julio Lugo's at bat? Lugo is 0-for-2 with a walk today.

4:01 The last two hitters in the Mariners order are 8-for-16 with six RBI and four runs scored in the first two games of this series.

3:59 Dustin Pedroia sprawls to try to corral a blooper behind the first base bag, but can't track it down. It's a single for Chris Woodward, 3-2 Mariners, and the bases are still loaded for one down.

3:57 Saito walks Kenji Johjima, who was hitless today, on four pitches. Let's upgrade "getting mighty antsy" to "turning into a boo factory."

3:55 Saito has thrown 22 pitches and nine for strikes. He just walked Ryan Langerhans, forcing Balentien into scoring position with one down. Fenway is getting mighty antsy.

Top 9, 3:48 Takashi Saito walks Ken Griffey Jr. after a monstrous nine-pitch at bat that had Griffey crank a foul ball deep out of the ballpark. Wlademir Balentien will pinch run for Griffey, who is old now, and this is sad. Griffey gets a partial standing ovation above the visitor's dugout.

Bottom 8, 3:36 David Ortiz will hit for Rocco Baldelli.

End of 7, 3:22 Here are both closed books for each starter:
Penny: 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 6 K
Olson: 6 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 5 K

Olson had one perfect inning (the 1st), but worked himself successfully out of jams most of the game. Penny threw a lot of pitches but got in trouble with jam shot singles that piled up. It all looks the same on the scoreboard.

Jeff Bailey will leave for Mark Kotsay. Okajima will enter for Masterson.

Middle 7, 3:10 Justin Masterson enters and picks up where Penny left off. Ronny Cedeno finally starts hitting like Ronny Cedeno, grounding into a double play to negate a Chris Woodward walk.

Bottom 6, 3:03 The Sox put runners on first and third with nobody out and come out with nothing. Rocco Baldelli was hit by a pitch and was caught in a pickle between third and home. Jeff Bailey grounded into a double play a few pitches later.

The aforementioned hate fumigation is suffocating. So: Who are your options? It would probably take Manny Delcarmen (and the assumption of all of Johnson's contract) to get Nick Johnson. Is he worth the rental? Who do you part with -- that is better than Yunel Escobar, Javier Vasquez and lots and lots of cash -- to get Matt Holliday? If so, where does he play? Are there better options? Do you really mess with a first place team so heartily?

This is why we have a comments section. Ah, democracy.

2:35 Woodward moved to third on a pop out to right and then scored on a pop out to left to make it 2-2. Russell Branyan had to work incredibly hard on his run-scoring sac fly, finally putting a ball in play on the 11th pitch. The Mariners are taking advantage of the little scraps they're getting. Again, they got a run out of a bloop single, a bunt and two sac flies. Penny is still tossing a gem.

Top 5, 2:29 Dustin Pedroia attempts to make the All-Century Web Gem/Youtube Hall of Fame by going behind his back to Jeff Bailey after charging a Ronny Cedeno bunt. But the bunt was too good and Cedeno is too fast. Cedeno is safe at first and Chris Woodward, who reached on a base knock, is safe at second.

Jeff Bailey's knee, though, wasn't safe. The side of his knee collided with Cedeno's helmet and buckled sideways. He'll stay in the game, somehow, after limping around the bag and getting checked out by trainers. But it looks horrible in the replay.

Top 4, 2:10 Penny gets out of another minor tussle (a Gutierrez base knock and Langerhans walk) with more heat. He's hitting 97 on the gun now and just jammed Kenji Johjima, who popped out to end out of the inning.

By the way, if the sun doesn't cause someone to drop a fly ball today -- which is even messing up people with sunglasses on -- America will be shocked and saddened.

Bottom 3, 2:00 The Sox get nothing out of a Bay infield single and the comments section fumigates with the hate potion. This is normal, of course. The offense has had just three seven-plus run games in the past three weeks (17 games) and they lost one of those three games. But the Red Sox are still third in the majors in on base percentage and OPS. They score more runs than 26 other teams in baseball. And even with this relative stagnancy, they were still 11th in the majors in runs scored, batting average and OBP over the last week.

Top 3, 1:50 Brad Penny gave up a groundball single up the middle to Ichiro and then Russell Branyan took advantage of a Fenway nook on a double that rolled to the corner in left. Since it's essentially a right angle over there, Bay got caught up trying to track it down and Ichiro hustled home from first, but Varitek turned a late-throw home into and out with a heady throw to third to snag Branyan. 2-1, Sox.

Francona was talking about Fenway quirks before the game. It's Saturday morning, anyway, so his pregame press conference actually resembled, more than anything, a brunch between people at an office who are friendly with each other but don't actually hang out unless they have to.

"A lot of people think it's a home run park, but if you hit a ball in the bullpen, then you've got to whack it pretty good," he said. "If you can use the wall like you're supposed to, it's probably a better doubles park."

That's when Sean Casey, who is doing the color for NESN this weekend, jumped in.

"Or a singles park, if it's me," he said.

Branyan probably should've heeded some of Tito's advice.

1:40 J.D. Drew goes down looking to end the inning. But interesting stat on that double steal: Jacoby Ellsbury is the first Red Sox player since Tris Speaker to record 35 steals in consecutive years. Speaker did it from 1912-1914, while Woodrow Wilson was running for and eventually becoming president.

Woodrow Wilson, in fact, used to send witty gifts to baseball players -- like, uh, baseballs -- with even wittier inscriptions -- like, uh, "To my friend, Ty Cobb." (Really, you're going to want to click on that link. I think he's throwing a knuckleball in that picture. He looks like Tim Wakefield's crazy uncle.)

1:38 The Sox are still rallying. An Ellsbury base knock, a Lugo walk and a double steal leaves the Sox threatening to break it open with two down.

Bottom 2, 1:33 Varitek blasts a flat-out meatball delivered by Garrett Olson over the deep part of the Monster. The homer drove in Rocco Baldelli, who reached on a walk. 2-0, Red Sox. I'm not sure the Mariners are happy that their pitcher decided to delve into Italian cuisine on such a patriotic holiday.

Middle 2, 1:26 Penny is straight up burning hitters with his fastball. He's clocking in at 96, after striking out Langerhans and Johjima, has four Ks in two innings.

And here's more chill-inducing National Anthem business because, at this pace, there's going to be a long gap between the end of this game and Keith Lockhart.

Top 1, 1:12 Can't ask for a better start than to strikeout Ichiro on three pitches, and Brad Penny did just that. He also punched out Russell Branyan and retired the side unharmed after a Jose Lopez single. It was a start almost as pretty as the best start to a sporting event ever. Oh, and Happy 4th.