Shortstop Marco Scutaro had a pair of two-run singles to back the strong pitching of John Lackey as the Boston Red Sox notched a 6-3 win over the visiting Seattle Mariners on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series.

Scutaro's second two-RBI single, in the bottom of the seventh inning, snapped a 3-3 deadlock as the Red Sox extended their winning streak to three games.

Lackey took care of the rest, going eight innings and allowing three runs on six hits while registering a season-high 10 strikeouts to improve to 13-9 lifetime against the Mariners.

It was the second win over Seattle this season for Lackey, who is 7-1 in his last nine outings against the Mariners. He held them hitless for 7 2/3 innings on July 22.

Jonathan Papelbon finished up for his 31st save.

Mariners starter Doug Fister (4-9) gave up five runs - two earned - on six hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Casey Kotchman had a two-run single and Chone Figgins had three hits and scored a run for Seattle, which tumbled to its third straight loss.

Scutaro singled in two runs and J.D. Drew added an RBI single in the fifth for Boston.