All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Mariners, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Eighth inning eruption seals deal: For much of Tuesday night, it looked for certain that the Red Sox were about to play their fifth straight one-run game on this road trip. After falling behind 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth, the Red Sox clawed back with a solo shot from Bobby Dalbec in the sixth to pull even. It stayed that way for another couple of innings before the Red Sox erupted for five runs in the top of the eighth. Xander Bogaerts tripled to get things started and Rafael Devers then walked and moved to second on a groundout. Alex Cora then went to the bench for two experienced lefty bats. First, Travis Shaw walked on six pitches, and then it was time for Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber carried an 0-for-16 skid to the plate, but after working the count full against Seattle closer Drew Steckenreider, drilled a double to right-center, clearing the bases. Alex Verdugo, the third straight lefty hitter of the inning, then clubbed a two-run homer to provide some additional breathing room.
Eovaldi keeps Sox in it: Once again, the Red Sox won a game started by Nathan Eovaldi, and once again, Eovaldi missed out on getting credit for the win. Over Eovaldi's last seven starts, the Red Sox are 6-1 and Eovaldi has a 1.92 ERA, but he has just one win in those seven outings despite allowing two runs or fewer in six of those starts. "Being 6-1 as a team, that's all that matters to me,'' said Eovaldi. "The (individual) wins come and go. They're not as valued as they once were. It's tougher to lock it down over the entire game. There's a lot of different things that go into it. There's the defense, the offense. As long as we're able to come out on top as a team, that's all that matters.'' The Mariners managed two runs off Eovaldi in five innings, but one of them was unearned.
TURNING POINT
The Red Sox led 1-0 on the strength of a J.D. Martinez heading into the bottom of the fourth. But three straight singles by the Mariners loaded the bases. It looked like Eovaldi was going to get the first out of the inning when Abraham Toro hit a fly ball to right. But as Hunter Renfroe camped under it, the ball popped into then out of his glove and fell to the ground. Only one run scored as all the runners had gone back to tag up for what they assumed was going to be an out. Failing to record the out, however, extended the inning for Eovaldi and made him work far harder. But he limited the damage with a sacrifice fly sandwiched between two strikeouts and got out of the whole mess having allowed just two runs when it could have been far, far worse.
TWO UP
Alex Verdugo: Verdugo contributed two hits from the eighth spot -- a single in the fifth and a two-run homer in the eighth to help blow things open for the Sox.
Darwinzon Hernandez: Hernandez gave the Red Sox five huge outs in relief of Nathan Eovaldi before issuing a two-out walk in the seventh.
ONE DOWN
Hunter Renfroe: Renfroe had a routine fly ball drop out of his glove in the fourth, leading to an unearned run. At the plate, things weren't any better with an 0-for-4 night including three strikeouts.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Today was a whole brand new day...But with (what happened) yesterday, it was still a nice feeling to be able to get that hit in that spot.'' Kyle Schwarber.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Xander Bogaerts collected his first triple since Aug. 17, 2018.
* Bobby Dalbec has four homers in the last five games.
* Alex Verdugo established a career-high with his 13th homer of the season.
* Red Sox relievers have allowed just two earned runs over their last 21.2 innings for an ERA of 0.85
* The Red Sox committed two errors, leading to three more unearned runs. Over the last four games, they've allowed 13 unearned runs.
UP NEXT
The two teams wrap up the three-game set at 4:10 with RHP Tanner Houck (0-4, 3.54) vs. RHP Marco Gonzales (8-5, 4.03)