Sox fall to M's for second straight time, 5-3

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By Joe Haggerty
CSNNE.com Bruins InsiderFollow @hackswithhaggs
SEATTLEThe search for career win No. 200 continues for Tim Wakefield.

The venerable knuckleballer has now come up empty in four different attempts to secure the esteemed baseball plateau, and really didnt come all that close to victory in dropping a 5-3 game to the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

A controversial error charged to Jed Lowrie on a force play at second base in the bottom of the third inning helped spark a three-run Mariners rally that gave them the initial lead, and then young guns Dustin Ackley and Casper Wells provided RBI power in the latter innings against Wakefield.

The 45-year-old knuckleballer pitched all eight innings for the Sox and allowed five runs on nine hits, but was outpitched by his counterpart from Seattle.

The pride of South Portland, Maine, Charlie Furbush, tamed the Sox offense and allowed only a single run on a Lowrie sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the top of the fourth frame. Furbush otherwise quieted the Sox bats and provided a dominant left-handed performance against the Boston batters.

The Maine native finished with seven complete innings and scattered four hits and a single run while fanning six batters for his third victory of the season, and the first of his career against the team he grew up rooting for.

Kevin Youkilis clubbed a two-run homer against reliever Jeff Gray for his 17th homer of the season after Furbush had exited the ballgame, but the hill was too high to climb for the Sox in the final few innings.

Brandon League got the save for the second day in a row in a 1-2-3 ninth inning, and stands at 29 saves in 33 chances on the season.

Joe Haggerty can be reached at jhaggerty@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Joe on Twitter at http:twitter.comHackswithHaggs.

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