SEATTLE – Desperate for a road win, the Red Sox seemingly had come to the wrong place.

Safeco Field, after all, had been an unfriendly way station for them in recent years. Before last night, the Sox had lost 9 of their last 11 here, making this an unlikely spot for the team to snap its seven-game road losing streak.

But in Bartolo Colon, making just his second start as a member of the Red Sox, Boston had the right man on the mound. Colon, who was 8-1 at Safeco during his career, limited the slumping Seattle Mariners to a single run on five hits over seven innings, directing the Sox to a 5-3 victory, their first away from Fenway since May 10.

Tied 1-1 in the eighth, six straight Red Sox hitters reached base after two were out, leading to four runs.

The loss sent the beleaguered Mariners to their 20th loss in the last 25 games.

"It was satisfying to shake hands (after a game)," said Terry Francona. "We’ve had our share of frustrating (road) losses lately."

Through seven innings, Colon and Felix Hernandez hooked up in a terrific pitcher’s duel. Hernandez, who one-hit the Sox at home in April of 2007, retired the first 10 hitters he faced before David Ortiz hammered a pitch out to straightaway center.

The lone run off Colon sixth came on a single by Ichiro Suzuki, a hit batsman, a sacrifice and a groundout.

In the eighth, the Sox had Julio Lugo on second with two out when Dustin Pedroia lined a 96-mph hour fastball over the lead of left fielder Raul Ibanez, scoring Lugo with the go-ahead run.

"I was just trying to get a fastball," Pedroia said. "I got one out over the plate and put a pretty good swing on it."

Following an intentional walk to Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, playing in his 2,000th career game, lashed a run-scoring single to right. Two more runs then crossed the plate on an infield hit by Mike Lowell and a bases-loaded walk to Jason Varitek.

"We put some good at-bats together," said Pedroia, "and we were fortunate to get some runs."

Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless eighth and Jonathan Papelbon yielded two unearned runs in the ninth.

Still, Colon was the difference-maker. Over 84 pitches, he threw about 80 percent fastballs, mixing in his two-seam sinker for variety.

"He was much sharper (this time than last)," said Varitek of Colon. "His fastball was truer. He threw it through the zone. It’s his fastball that sets everything else up for him, especially when he has that kind of command."

Of Colon’s 84 pitches, 59 were strikes. He walked just one hitter in his seven innings while improving to 2-0.

"I felt good," said Colon. "I threw more strikes tonight and stayed ahead of the hitters. And it feels even better because we won."

Acknowledging that he threw few breaking or off-speed pitches, Colon said: "I’m going to continue to work on that."

Though he allowed just five hits, Colon was called upon several times to work out of jams.

In the third, a one-out double into the left-field corner by Kenji Johjima and a single to right from Yuniesky Betancourt gave the Mariners runners at the corners. But Colon got Ichiro to hit a shallow fly to center, then retired Jose Lopez on a groundout to second.

After Ichiro had scored the first Seattle run in the sixth, he had to contend with Lopez at third and two out. But Colon stranded him there by retiring Adrian Beltre on an inning-ending groundout.

Finally, Ichiro came to the plate with runners at the corners and two down in the seventh, but flied to center, marooning two baserunners.

The Sox, too, were frustrated in the early going, though they did succeed in making some loud outs against Hernandez.

J.D. Drew was on first with a one-out single in the fifth when Varitek drove a pitch to the deepest reaches of right-center. Ichiro turned and sprinted for the wall and made the catch over his shoulder on the warning track, a split-second before running face-first into the center-field padding.

Ichiro tumbled back to the ground, momentarily stunned by the collision, but had the presence of mind to flip the ball back into the infield to hold Drew at first.