Final: Red Sox 5, Mariners 0 - Finally, Sale gets some offensive backing

Sunday was apparently a day to expect the unexpected.

Chris Sale got plenty of run support, Jackie Bradley Jr. rapped out a season-high three hits and Nelson Cruz didn't hurt the Red Sox.

It all added up to a 5-0 win for the Sox, giving them the win in their weekend series with the Seattle Mariners.

Sale fanned 13 in seven innings while walking one and allowing just four hits, improving to 7-4. It marked only the fifth time this season that the Sox had scored  five runs for Sale while he was still in the game.

The Sox erupted for three runs in the fifth on a run-scoring single from Eduardo Nunez and sacrifice flies from Sandy Leon and Mookie Betts. A two-run homer by Mitch Moreland in the sixth closed out the scoring.

 

2:46   No triples today - Mitch Moreland goes deep, to the center field bleachers, crushing a sinker that stayed up in the strike zone.

2:37: To put the three runs the Sox scored in the bottom of the fifth into some perspective: In six of Sale's previous starts, the Red Sox failed to score that many, period, while Sale was still in the game. And in five other starts, they scored no more than three for the entire game while Sale was still pitching.

2:07 It's a given that Eduardo Nunez has had a disappointing season. He's got a .634 OPS coming into today and hasn't been anywhere near the offensive dynamo he was in the second half of last year. But what's really striking is how poorly Nunez has played in the field. It's not just his almost utter lack of range at second, a position that, admittedly, is not his best. But I've lost count of the number of throws that Nunez has just.....dropped. Like, failed to catch. Some have come on stolen base attempts, where he's dropped the catcher's throw. And some have come on relays like the one in the previous inning when the Sox had a good shot at cutting down Nelson Cruz at third, but Nunez dropped a relay from Mookie Betts.

WHO: Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners
WHEN: 1:05 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
WHAT'S UP: The Sox and Mariners play the rubber game of the series and meet for the final time this regular season. If you're looking way ahead, the outcome of this game could have some repercussions in October. Currently, the teams are 3-3 in the season series; if the two teams should both qualify as wild card entrants this fall and end up with the same regular season record, home field is determined by who wins the season series. So, it's at least possible that the Sox could save themselves a long flight to the Pacific Northwest with a win this afternoon at Fenway. Meanwhile, the Sox are just 3-5 in their last eight games after going 18-7 in their previous 25 games.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Chris Sale (6-4, 2.74) vs. LHP Marco Gonzalez (7-4, 3.80).
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Martinez DH
Moreland 1B
Bogaerts SS
Nunez 2B
Devers 3B
Leon C
Bradley CF

MARINERS

Gordon 2B
Haniger RF
Cruz DH
Healy 1B
Seager 3B
Heredia CF
Zunino C
Span LF
Romine SS