Red Sox unleash the power bats
Mariners fall behind early and can’t do much against Boston starter Rodriguez
SEATTLE — Boston’s offence showed why it is one of the best in baseball.
Rafael Devers, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Xander Bogaerts all homered and the Boston Red Sox routed the Seattle Mariners 9-3 on Sunday.
“Today we did an outstanding job finishing the game and we got the W,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We are a good team. We know how to play the game and we turn the page really quick.”
Devers’ 11th homer of the season capped a five-run, two-out rally in the third against Seattle starter Mike Leake (7-4). “They were making it tough today,” Leake said. “They weren’t giving me any breaks today.”
Andrew Benintendi and Bogaerts began Boston’s rally with a pair of singles. J.D. Martinez drew a nine-pitch walk to load the bases before Mitch Moreland drove in two with a single to centre field, his first hit of the series, and Devers followed with a blast off the Hit It Here Cafe in right field to give Boston a 5-0 lead.
“Anytime you can put up a five spot in the inning, you are happy with it,” Moreland said. “That was a good inning for us.”
The Red Sox pulled away in the seventh against righthanded reliever Chasen Bradford, who gave up three runs and two homers while getting two outs.
Bradley Jr. sent Bradford’s first pitch over the centre field wall for his fourth home run this season. Benintendi hit his third single of the game with one out before Bogaerts put Boston ahead 8-2 with a shot into the bullpen in left centre field, his 12th of the season and fourth of the series.
Facing left-hander Roenis Elias in the eighth, Benintendi extended Boston’s lead to 9-2 with a sacrifice fly to centre.
The Red Sox have hit three or more home runs 10 times this season, and are 36-7 when scoring five or more runs.
Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez picked up his sixth straight win in as many starts, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out nine. Rodriguez (9-1) has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his starts during his winning streak, and the Red Sox are 13-1 in Rodriguez’s starts this season.
“It was really good,” Rodriguez said of his start. “All of my pitches were working. It was really great.”
The Mariners loaded the bases with no outs for the heart of their order against Rodriguez in the fifth, but managed just one run. Jean Segura cut Seattle’s deficit to 5-2 with a fielder’s choice, but Seattle’s rally was cut short following back-to-back fly outs from Mitch Haniger and Nelson Cruz.
“He had to work for it that fifth inning but he limited the damage,” Cora said. “He did a good job. Good fastball. He was more aggressive in the strike zone.”
Cruz hit his 17th home run of the season in the fourth, sending a 3-2 fastball from Martinez 442 feet in to the upper deck in left field to trim Seattle’s deficit to 5-1. Cruz has homered five times in his last nine games.
In the eighth, Ryon Healy doubled down the left field line, scoring Cruz to make it 9-3.
The Red Sox improved to 18-5 in series finales, and have won five straight day games on the road. They also avenged a disheartening 1-0 loss to the Mariners on Saturday night.
Marco Gonzales (7-3, 3.42) goes for his sixth win in as many starts when the Mariners begin a 10-game road trip against the New York Yankees on Tuesday. Gonzalez has allowed just six earned runs in his last six starts combined.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: RHP Nick Vincent (groin) is scheduled to make a rehab start with Triple-A Tacoma on Monday, then make a rehab appearance with Double-A Arkansas on Wednesday before joining the Mariners during their three-game rematch in Boston beginning Friday.