All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 5-0 win over the Mariners, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Finally, some run support for Sale: The last time out, Chris Sale gave up two earned runs and got a no-decision while the team lost. Two starts before that, he allowed one run over eight innings -- and got saddled with the loss. You get the picture — Sale could sue for lack of support from his teammates this season. But that changed in a big way Sunday when they got him three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth. To put that in perspective, the three runs in the fifth were more than Sale had received in six of his previous 16 starts, and was equal to what he got in terms of backing in five others. "Sometimes I walk around and wonder when he's going to be upset,'' said Alex Cora of his ace's tough luck this season. "But he controls what he can control -- which is, go out and dominate for six, seven, eight innings. That's a good thing. He does a good job staying the course.'' Sale appreciated the outburst. "I'll take five every time out,'' he said with a smile. "But I never lost faith in the guys. I knew at some point it was going to blow open.''
Bradley breaks through: Jackie Bradley Jr. came into Sunday hitting just .178, with an OPS of .563, one of the lowest figures in the league among qualifying players. But he went a perfect 3-for-3 (three singles), boosting his average 11 points and giving him some reward for his work. Bradley has hit experience some brutal luck at the plate, with a number of hard-hit line drives finding their way into opposing fielders' gloves, so Sunday represented a bit of a turnaround in terms of outcome. "It just feels good to contribute and help the team win,'' said Bradley. "I think that's what it all boils down to. Obviously, when you as an individual get results, you're helping the team and that's the way it felt today. It's not hard to feel frustrated, but it is frustrating. I've just got to a continue to keep working, keep swinging, swinging at pitches in the zone and hopefully, good things come out of it.''
Betts contributes in the field: Sunday was a rarity in that Mookie Betts didn't collect a hit -- though he did have a sacrifice fly -- while striking out three times. But Betts made a couple of significant contributions in the field. In the sixth, with the Sox clinging to a 3-0 lead and a runner on first, he drifted back, reached up and took extra bases -- if not a homer -- away from Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger. Had the ball landed in the visitor's bullpen -- where it seemed headed -- it would have resulted in the Sox' lead being reduced to a single run. Then, in the ninth inning, Nelson Cruz, who tormented the Sox for the entire series and had tripled earlier, hit a tailing fly ball to right. Betts hustled over and lunged to make the catch. At the time, the Sox comfortably led 5-0, but it stopped any hint of a ninth-inning rally for Seattle.
TURNING POINT
Given the Red Sox' issues with run support for Sale, any offensive backing is appreciated. But it wasn't until sacrifice flies from Sandy Leon and Mookie Betts in the fifth stretched what had been a 1-0 Red Sox lead to 3-0 that Sale had some breathing room and adequate support.
TWO UP
Red Sox bullpen: After Sale left in the seventh, Joe Kelly and Matt Barnes were nearly perfect over the final two frames, retiring six of the seven hitters they faced.
Mitch Moreland: No triples for a change, but Moreland contributed plenty with a mammoth clout into the center field bleachers for his 11th homer of the season, extending his hitting streak to seven straight games.
ONE DOWN
Andrew Benintendi: The outfielder had a rare hitless game, going 0-for-4 at the plate.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It never evens out. Never. It never events out. I promise you. But I like the optimism.''
— Jackie Bradley Jr., when asked if he was hopeful that, after hitting into a lot of tough luck of late, thinking would eventually even out for him at the plate.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The last four Red Sox wins have come by a combined margin of 22 runs
- The Red Sox are 9-3 in 12 home series this season and have a .676 winning percentage at home.
- Boston is 20-5 in series finales this year.
- The game marked the 17th time in his career that Chris Sale recorded 13 or more strikeouts in a start.
- In home games this season, Mitch Moreland has a .400 OBP and a .650 slugging percentage.
- Jackie Bradley Jr. is 8-for-8 in stolen bases.
- Rafael Devers has driven in 12 runs in his last 14 games.
- Xander Bogaerts leads the team with 20 doubles.