Denard Span beat the Red Sox in the eighth inning on Opening Day. More than two and a half months later, he did it again in another uniform.
Span lashed a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth off Matt Barnes to help the Seattle Mariners overtake the Red Sox, 7-6, in a bizarre, back-and-forth game that snapped the Sox' four game winning streak.
The Sox had the potential tying run at second and potential go-ahead run at first in the ninth before Seattle closer Edwin Diaz got Eduardo Nunez to ground to first.
After the Mariners had raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first two innings, the Sox had used two M's errors to erupt for six runs in the third inning and chase Seattle ace James Paxton.
But the Mariners managed a run in the fifth and then a solo homer from Mike Zunino off Heath Hembree to close within a run.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners
WHEN: 10:10 p.m.
WHERE: Safeco Field
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox won the opener of the four-game series Thursday, 2-1, behind the pitching of David Price (seven innings, one run) and a tie-breaking homer from Xander Bogaerts. The Red Sox are now 4-0 in the furst four games of their current 10-game road trip and can assure themselves of a .500 trip with a win tonight -- and half the road swing still to be played. The Mariners, meanwhile, saw their four-game winning streak halted, but they've still won 11 of their last 14.
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Rick Porcello (8-3, 3.54) vs. LHP James Paxton (6-1, 3.02)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
1:02 Denard Span strikes again. Span delivers a two-run double to put the Mariners ahead for the first time since third inning.
11:58 Costly inning for Porcello. He got two quick outs and then got ahead of Dee Gordon, the third hitter, 0-and-2 But then the Mariners started beating up Porcello a bit with three straight hits and a walk, resulting in a run. Worse, after Porcello needed just eight pitches for two outs and two strikes on Gordon, he ended up needing 27 pitches to get through the frame.
11:13; James Paxton has been removed from the game, having allowed six runs; he's also responsible for two baserunners on. In 23 career innings before tonight, Paxton had allowed one run; tonight, he's already given up six in just 2.1 innings.
11:08 Second homer in as many nights for Xander Bogaerts - this one a three-run shot -- and he has now surpassed last year's home run total before the halfway mark of the season.
11:04 Strange inning for the Mariners. They've committed three errors in the top of the third along -- and four overall -- and have gift-wrapped three runs here to the Red Sox, allowing them right back into the game. A 3-0 lead for James Paxton looked pretty imposing. Instead, they get some breaks
10:26 Rick Porcello has cut way back on the home runs he's allowed this season. After leading the American League with 38 homers last season, he's allowed just eight this year -- including one in the first inning to Jean Segura. But importantly, of the eight homers Porcello has allowed, six came with the bases empty.
RED SOX
Betts RF
Holt 2B
Martinez LF
Moreland 1B
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Nunez DH
Bradley CF
Leon C
MARINERS
Gordon 2B
Segura SS
Haniger RF
Cruz DH
Seager 3B
Healy 1B
Gamel LF
Heredia CF
Zunino C
NEWS AND NOTES:
- In a somewhat bizarre twist, the Red Sox have shipped outfielder Eric Filia back to the Mariners. Filia was acquired by the Red Sox earlier this week as the player to be named later for LHP Roenis Elias. But before he could assigned to an affiliate, the Sox returned Filia to the Mariners and accepted cash instead. Apparently, Filia didn't pass the Red Sox physical.