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SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Kazuhiro Sasaki has arrived and so has the Seattle Mariners suddenly revamped bullpen. The Japanese import struck out the side in the ninth inning for his first career save as Seattle relievers helped the Mariners hold on for a 5-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Jose Mesa (1-0), Arthur Rhodes and Sasaki, who was considered the best reliever in the Japanese league before signing with the Mariners in the offseason, held the Red Sox scoreless over the final three frames. "(Sasaki) threw the ball well, good fastball, excellent split-finger," Seattle manager Lou Piniella said. "He had three strikeouts, you can't do better than that. He's been very consistent (since the spring). I'm very pleased with the way he's been pitching. I wouldn't put him in the closer role if I didn't feel confident." Alex Rodriguez drove in a pair of runs and Mike Cameron and David Bell hit back-to-back homers in the eighth for Seattle, which benefitted from some shoddy infield defense by the Red Sox in the seventh. The game was billed as a matchup of starting pitchers facing their former teams, Seattle's Aaron Sele and Boston's Jeff Fassero, but came down to a battle of bullpens. The Mariners' relief corps has been among the worst in the majors the last two seasons, but tonight they more than held their own. Mesa retired the side in order in the seventh before running into trouble in the eighth after the Mariners rallied for a 3-2 lead. He allowed back-to-back singles to Carl Everett and Nomar Garciaparra before Seattle manager Lou Piniella called for another of his new relievers, lefthander Arthur Rhodes. The free-agent signee got Troy O'Leary to fly to left, Mike Stanley on a weak pop to shallow center and struck out Gary Gaetti to end the threat, sending the Safeco Field crowd into a frenzy. "It's a good feeling for the bullpen," Rhodes said. "I know for the last couple of years, the bullpen was out there struggling. In the year 2000, the bullpen is great. We take it one guy at a time. If you take it one guy at a time, you've got it made." Cameron belted his first homer as a Mariner leading off the bottom of the frame against Rheal Cormier and Bell followed suit to cap the cushion. Sasaki really got the crowd going when he got Jason Varitek, Scott Hatteburg swinging and sent Offerman down with a fastball on the outside corner to seal the win. "Sasaki is a great pitcher," Rhodes said. "He's got a good forkball, a good fastball. He's a hell of pitcher, I love him. I think he'll be a dominant closer." Trot Nixon homered for Boston, which fell behind when Offerman failed to close his glove on a potential force play at second and Stanley booted a sure double-play ball on a hot shot to first in the seventh. Sele, who pitched for Boston from 1993-97, surrendered two runs and six hits over six innings, walking four and striking out three. "It was OK for getting things underway," Sele said. "I kept the game close for six innings. I wasn't real happy with walking guys in critical situations. You just don't do that. Sasaki is a workhorse, he's the Dennis Ekersley of Japan. He's the greatest closer ever (in Japan)." Fassero signed with the Red Sox in December after spending the better part of three seasons in Seattle and finishing 1999 with Sele in Texas. He allowed a run and three hits over five innings, but walked six. "I felt OK," Fassero said. "I pitched out of quite a few jams that I got myself into. I felt a lot better than I felt last year. When you walk six people and only give up one run in five innings, it means I got a little more life in ball. But I have to cut out the walks." Bryce Florie (0-1) was hung with the loss, allowing two runs -- one earned -- and three hits over 1 2/3 frames. Boston jumped on top with one out in the third when Nixon turned on a 1-0 pitch and drilled it over the right-field wall fence. Seattle got even in the fifth when Stan Javier walked with two out and Rodriguez doubled into the left-field corner. Boston appeared to have a shot at Javier at the plate, but botched the relay as the Mariners forged a 1-1 tie. The Red Sox responded in the sixth, however, taking a 2-1 lead when Brian Daubach singled home Everett with two out. Florie walked Dan Wilson to start the seventh and struck out Carlos Guillen before walking Mark McLemore to put runners at first and second. Javier stroked a single through the hole at short to load the bases before Rodriguez hit a hot smash to third. Boston's Manny Alexander smothered the ball and fired to Offerman covering second for the force, but the pivotman dropped the ball and the game was tied at 2-2. Cormier came into the face the lefty-hitting John Olerud and appeared to be out of the inning with a hard-hit grounder right at Stanley. But the first baseman booted the ball before recovering to get the out at first as McLemore crossed the plate with the go-ahead run.
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