Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Bartolo Colon tossed seven innings of one-run ball and the Boston Red Sox used a four-run eighth to down the Seattle Mariners, 5-3, in the opener of a three-game set from Safeco Field.

Colon (2-0) allowed five hits and a walk for his second win in as many starts since being inserted into the starting rotation. Colon struck out four to snap Boston's three-game skid after being swept in Oakland. Boston also snapped a seven-game losing streak on the road.

"As far as sharpness, by far, he had better command," Boston catcher Jason Varitek said of Colon's second outing. "We were able to mix in a slider and he didn't really throw a changeup. We were able to throw his slider on both sides of the plate."

David Ortiz blasted a home run and scored twice and Manny Ramirez helped key a four-run rally in the eighth for Boston.

Felix Hernandez (2-5) worked 7 2/3 mostly effective innings, but gave up five runs, four in a costly eighth inning, on seven hits and five walks to take the loss. He did strike out five for Seattle, which has now dropped seven straight contests.

Ichiro Suzuki had two hits, scored a run with an RBI and Kenji Johjima added two hits and scored. Raul Ibanez had the other RBI for Seattle.

Boston finally broke through to take the lead in the eighth. Sean Casey laced a leadoff single to right and Julio Lugo grounded into a force out at second. Lugo moved to second on a groundout and scored on a Dustin Pedroia ground-rule double to left. Hernandez issued a free pass to Ortiz and Ramirez singled to right plating Pedroia.

Mike Lowell then managed an infield single scoring Ortiz. J.D. Drew followed with a single to load the bases and Jason Varitek worked a walk to bring in the fourth run of the inning and chase Hernandez.

Ryan Rowland-Smith came on to get the final out of the inning.

"Everything was good today, everything," Hernandez said. "I threw the two- seamer to Pedroia and it came back too much, right in the middle of the plate. He hit it pretty good. You can't make a mistake with those guys."

Seattle added two runs in the ninth off Jonathan Papelbon to make things interesting, but fell short in the end. Suzuki had an RBI single and Johjima scored on a wild pitch. Papelbon, though, got Jose Lopez to ground out and end the game.

Ortiz put Boston on the board in the fourth with a solo shot to dead center, his 12th of the season.

Seattle got things going in the sixth with a leadoff single from Suzuki. Colon then hit Jose Lopez with a pitch and Jose Vidro sacrificed the runners to second and third with one away. Ibanez tied it at one with an RBI groundout with Lopez moving to third. Adrian Beltre grounded out to end the inning.

Richie Sexson managed a one-out infield single in the seventh and was removed for pinch-runner Miguel Cairo, who moved to third on a Yuniesky Betancourt two-out single to right, but Suzuki flied out to end the inning.