All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 7-6 loss to the Mariners, complete with BSJ insight and analysis
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Bullpen trips up in the late innings: Heading into the game, the Red Sox' bullpen had a 1.59 ERA in the previous 25 games, and the Sox had the third-best bullpen ERA overall in the American League. But Heath Hembree gave up a homer to Mike Zunino in the seventh and Matt Barnes was knocked around for two runs on a double by Red Sox killer Denard Span in the eighth, leading to the defeat. In his previous six games before Friday night, Hembree hadn't allowed a hit -- much less a run. Barnes had been similarly effective as one of the club's two primary high-leverage arms and had allowed runs in just three of his previous 24 appearances. None of that mattered on Friday, however, as neither was able to do the job. "They've been good,'' said Alex Cora of his bullpen. "Nights like this are going to happen and you've got to tip your cap to them.'' "It's our job to come in and shut the door and we just didn't get it done tonight,'' said Hembree.
Bogaerts delivers again: One night after Bogaerts virtually won the game for the Red Sox single-handedly -- at the plate and in the field -- he enjoyed another big game, cracking a three-run, opposite field homer in the six-run third inning. That homer came off Seattle ace James Paxton, who lasted just two more hitters after Bogaerts took him deep. The homer was the 11th of the season for the shortstop, who, with that long ball, has already topped his homer total from a year ago. Bogaerts had just 10 homers last season over the course of 148 games. Through 71 games this year, he already has one more. Over the last three games, he's knocked in five runs.
https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1007825040727928833
Mariners come unglued in early innings: Seattle, viewed as a very good defensive club in general, hardly looked the part Friday night, making three errors. On the very first at-bat of the game, shortstop Jean Segura committed an error on a ground ball by Mookie Betts. Things really got ugly in the third when Segura made another error -- this one on a poor throw to first. Soon after, Paxton uncorked a wild pitch and third baseman Kyle Seager muffed an easy on a soft grounder by Mitch Moreland, enabling two runs to score. And that doesn't even take into account a poor play by right field Mitch Haniger, who reacted slowly to a fly ball from J.D. Martinez, only to have the ball tip off his glove and roll to the warning track. Initially, Haniger was charged with an error; later, the official scorer deemed it a single. But it was typical of the Mariners' atypically sloppy play on the night.
TURNING POINT
The Red Sox had plenty of chances in the final few innings, but the biggest came in the eighth when the Sox loaded the bases. But Brock Holt, with an opportunity to extend the lead, flew out to left, stranding three baserunners. Then, in the bottom of the inning, the Mariners overtook the Sox for good.
TWO UP
J.D. Martinez: Martinez was overpowered by James Paxton in his first at-bat, unable to catch up to some high fastballs, but turned his night around after that, reaching base three times with two singles and a walk.
Mookie Betts: Betts came to the plate five times and reached base four times. Betts collected two singles, was walked intentionally and reached on an error.
ONE DOWN
Mitch Moreland: The Red Sox first baseman has cooled considerably at the plate of late and went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts, stranding five baserunners along the way.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Can't say enough about the job our offense did in putting up runs against one of the tougher pitchers in the league this year, but myself and the pitching staff as a whole, we've got to do a better job keeping runs off the board. It's tough to win a game giving up seven (runs).''
— Rick Porcello
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The loss was just the fourth all season for the Red Sox when leading after seven innings.
- The game was the 16th in the last 29 games between the teams that was decided by a single run.
- The Sox stranded seven baserunners over the final three innings, including the bases loaded in the eighth.
- Bogaerts homered for the second-straight game, marking the fifth time he's done that in his career.
- Rafael Devers extended his hitting streak to 10 straight games with two hits.