(Sports Network) - After suffering a discouraging three-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim over the weekend, the Boston Red Sox hope a few encounters with the lowly Seattle Mariners will cure what's been ailing them. The teams play the first of three straight meetings this evening at Safeco Field.

Boston's current six-game road trip got off to an unwanted start, as the American League East-leading Angels dealt the defending world champs an 11-3 defeat in Friday's opener. The Red Sox then blew late leads to Anaheim on both Saturday and Sunday as the club's season-long problems on the road resumed.

In yesterday's finale, Howie Kendrick and Casey Kotchman each came through with RBI doubles in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Angels rallied for a 5-3 decision.

After Juan Rivera led off the frame with a double off Sox starter Tim Wakefield, Kendrick stroked a two-bagger to left to plate pinch-runner Reggie Willits and tie the game at 3-3. Three batters later, Kotchman brought home both Kendrick and Chone Figgins with a double off Manny Delcarmen to put Anaheim in front.

Wakefield (6-7) was charged with four runs on six hits in seven-plus innings.

Dustin Pedroia finished 3-for-4 for Boston, which also received RBI hits from Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell.

The Red Sox fell to 21-32 on the road with Sunday's defeat and have lost five straight as the visitor. Boston is 2-10 over its last 12 games away from Fenway Park.

Seattle, on the other hand, has struggled all season long in nearly every venue. The Mariners own the worst overall record in the AL at 38-60 and have dropped eight of their last 11 games, including Sunday's 6-2 setback to Cleveland.

Indians All-Star Cliff Lee scattered 11 hits in a complete-game effort during yesterday's tilt, which improved the lefty to a stellar 13-2 this season.

Jose Vidro and Miguel Cairo each went 3-for-4 with an RBI for Seattle, but Mariners starter Carlos Silva was hit hard in his first outing after the All- Star break.

Silva (4-12) surrendered four runs on four hits before exiting the game due to a stiff back with no one out in the top of the fourth.

The Mariners will have to deal with native son Jon Lester in tonight's opener. The Boston left-hander, who hails from nearby Tacoma, is an impressive 7-3 with a 3.38 earned run average on the season and hasn't lost in eight starts since a May 25 defeat at Oakland.

Lester is 4-0 with four no-decisions over that stretch, including a five-hit shutout over the rival Yankees on July 3. He struggled some in his most recent mound trip, a 7 1/3-inning no-decision against Minnesota on July 8 in which he allowed five runs on nine hits.

The 24-year-old has faced the Mariners twice previously and did not get a decision on either occasion. Both of those starts came at Safeco Field, with Lester giving up a total of nine runs over 10 innings.

Jarrod Washburn will toe the rubber for Seattle tonight and had a solid effort in his last start. Against Kansas City on July 12, the veteran lefty allowed three runs -- one earned -- on seven hits over six innings. He failed to get a decision, however, in his team's 5-4 loss.

Washburn is just 4-8 with a 4.83 ERA for the season but has yielded two earned runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts.

The 33-year-old will be meeting Boston for the first time this season and is 3-4 with a 4.76 ERA in 11 lifetime starts against the Red Sox.

These teams have split six matchups so far in 2008, with the Mariners taking two of three from the Sox at Safeco Field in late May. Seattle is 11-4 as the host in this series since 2006.