SEATTLE (AP) -- While Safeco Field may be a little less scenic
without the 26 trees behind the wall in center field, Mariners
manager Lou Piniella likes the new background just fine.

Seattle produced 16 hits Tuesday night in the team's first game
back home since the trees were torn out last week as the Mariners
defeated the Boston Red Sox 10-3.

The trees were planted in March to cut down on glare for hitters, which was mostly a problem during afternoon and early evening games.

"Coincidence or what, the background is much better with a new coat of paint without the gloss and without the trees,'' Piniella said.

Desi Relaford seemed to agree.

Relaford, who came to Seattle and vowed to contribute any way he could this season, was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. Batting in the ninth hole, he hit a broken-bat triple in Seattle's four-run third inning.

"One hit the bat, went about 100 feet and the ball went in the corner for a triple,'' Boston manager Grady Little said. "When those things start to happen to you, you know it is not a very good sign.''

Relaford drove in two runs and scored twice while filling in for injured shortstop Carlos Guillen. Guillen sat out for the third straight game with a strained left thigh muscle.

"The bat went out a soldier, a hero,'' Relaford said of his triple. "I've been feeling lousy. Hopefully today is a sign for me getting back on track.''

Ichiro Suzuki doubled and singled, drove in three runs and
scored once. Dan Wilson added three hits with a double for the AL West leaders. He fouled a ball off his ankle but stayed in the game. Piniella said his starting catcher might not be available for Wednesday night's game.

Joel Pineiro (12-4) won his second straight decision and eighth out of nine, but made things tough on himself early. It took him until the sixth to get a 1-2-3 inning but he was able to turn a rocky start into a solid outing.

"It's just a weird feeling,'' Pineiro said of having a shaky start. "You tell yourself you have to get the ball down and hit your spots and you should be able to help out and get out of a jam.''

Pineiro retired eight straight batters during one stretch before
allowing a leadoff home run to Manny Ramirez to start the eighth. Pineiro allowed three runs and nine hits in 7 1/3 innings. Ramirez went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs.

The Red Sox fell five games behind New York in the AL East and two games behind Anaheim in the wild card race. The Mariners lead the Angels by two games in the AL West.

The Mariners opened a four-run third inning with three straight
extra-base hits, including Relaford's triple deep into the
right-field corner. Boston right fielder Trot Nixon fumbled the ball while trying to field it.

Relaford's hit on an 0-1 count scored Wilson, who led off the inning with a double off the wall in left-center. Suzuki followed with a double off the wall in right-center on the first pitch he saw for a 2-1 lead.

John Burkett (10-6), who lost his third straight start, walked the next two Seattle batters to load the bases, then gave up a two-run single to Edgar Martinez to make it 4-1 with no outs.

Burkett was tagged for two more runs in the fourth on a two-run single by Suzuki before giving way to Willie Banks with no outs.

"I threw too many pitches down the middle and they took advantage of it,'' Burkett said. "I felt really good but for whatever reason I didn't throw the ball where I wanted to.''

The Red Sox scored an unearned run in the fifth. Nixon reached third on a three-base error by Suzuki -- only the second error by Suzuki this season. The right fielder appeared to lose sight of the ball, which was hit high and hard to the warning track. Then Nixon scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Jason Varitek.

The Red Sox had seven baserunners in the first three innings on five singles, but managed only one run. Nixon singled to center to lead off the third inning and then scored on a single by Ramirez for a 1-0 lead.

Game notes
Nomar Garciaparra went 0-for-3 and ended his 10-game
hitting streak. ... Burkett walked Mark McLemore in the second inning to snap a streak of 23 straight innings without a walk by Boston pitchers. ... Relaford was hit by a pitch in the sixth by
Banks. ... Relaford had been 0-for-6 in his career against Burkett coming into the game. ... Ramirez is 7-for-9 with a homer and three RBI against Seattle this season.