Twenty-four hours after the Red Sox erupted for a season-high 20 hits and tied a season high with 14 runs, the offensive spigot was shut off Saturday night when the Sox managed just three hits over the first eight innings and were throttled 7-2 by the Seattle Mariners.
In a lineup that was missing both Xander Bogaerts (finger) and Mookie Betts (sickness), the Sox were easy pretty prey for Seattle starter Mike Leake, who needed just 98 pitches to get through eight innings. The Sox loaded the bases in the first with two outs and then didn't manage another baserunner in scoring position again until the sixth.
The Sox finally got in the scoreboard in the ninth off reliever Edwin Diaz when J.D. Martinez singled and rode home on Mitch Moreland's fourth triple of the season and second in as many nights. Moreland then scored on a single by Eduardo Nunez.
Eduardo Rodriguez saw his personal winning streak snapped at six games as he was shelled for five runs -- four earned -- in just four innings. It marked only the second time this season --and the first since May 15 -- that the Sox lost a game the lefty started.
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS
9:11 The Mariners keep adding on. They tack on another run on ball hit sharply by Ryon Healy. Rafael Devers made a terrific backhand stop, then made a one-hop throw to first baseman Mitch Moreland that Moreland couldn't hold onto. It was ruled a hit; I would have gone with an error because, despite the extra effort shown by Devers to simply get to the ball, Healy would have been out by several steps with a better throw.
8:38 This is Eduardo Rodriguez's worst start in some time. The lefty came in having allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last six starts, but after four innings, he's already allowed five. Rodriguez hasn't had an easy inning, with Seattle sending a minimum of five hitters to the plate every inning to date. And, as always, there's the matter of pitch count: Rodriguez has already thrown 86 pitches in four innings.
8:19 Having J.D. Martinez attempt to steal second there was a curious bit of strategy. Martinez is far from a fast baserunner, and Mitch Moreland -- who singled in his first trip and is wielding a hot bat of late - was at the plate. Martinez was thrown out, ending the inning.
8:07 Costly error by Tzu-Wei Lin at short hands the Mariners their second run. Lin is ordinarily very sure-handed at short, but he clearly misjudged a hop there and had the ball skip under his glove and into left field, enabling Nelson Cruz to score all the way from second base.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners
WHEN: 7:15 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have won two straight after dropping four of five on their long road trip and now lead the season series 3-2 with two games remaining. On Friday night, the Sox erased a five-run deficit and posted a season-high 20 hits and tied a season high with 14 runs. It's worth noting that Eduardo Rodriguez, their starter, has won his last six starts while the Sox are 13-1 in his 14 games this season. The Mariners have dropped five straight -- the final game of their homestand with the Sox, three games in New York against the Yankees and the Friday opener here -- and have fallen 3.5 games behind streaking Houston in the A.L. West.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (9-1, 3.59) vs. Mike Leake (704, 4.47).
TV/RADIO: FOX/WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Lin SS
Benintendi LF
Martinez RF
Moreland 1B
Holt 2B
Devers 3B
Nunez DH
Vazquez C
Bradley CF
MARINERS
Gordon 2B
Haniger RF
Cruz DH
Seager 3B
Healy 1B
Gamel LF
Heredia CF
Hermann C
Romine SS
NEWS AND NOTES:
- The Red Sox are without two regulars -- shortstop Xander Bogaerts and right fielder Mookie Betts. The Sox waited to see if Betts was available, but he reported to Fenway feeling "a little bit under the weather, he had no energy,'' according to Alex Cora and ultimately was held out of the lineup. With Betts out, J.D. Martinez is making his second start of the season in right field at Fenway.
- Bogaerts jammed a finger sliding head-first into a base Friday night and needs a day. Earlier Saturday, as a precaution, the Sox promoted Tzu-Wei Lin from Pawtucket to give them additional middle infield depth. The Sox had been going with 13 pitchers and just 12 position players -- leaving them with just three extra players on the bench -- but they switched that Saturday, returning LHP Robby Scott to Pawtucket and re-setting the roster to 13 position players and 12 pitchers.
- RHP Tyler Thornburg is scheduled to pitch for Pawtucket again Sunday after an appearance Thursday in which he pitched a scoreless inning. Cora said the big key for Thornburg is "rebounding'' from one appearance to the next. "He hasn't been able to bounce-back the way he feels he should,'' Cora said. "He always has a good first appearance and then in the next one, either his breaking balls isn't where it should or his velocity is down. Hopefully, he can go out there and give us two or three really good ones and then we'll make a decision.''