The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)

Mariners end Red Sox winning streak

- By Ken Powtak

BOSTON >> Christian Bergman’s emotions shifted from frustratio­n and anxiety to trying to block out his previous start.

When he got back on the mound, he certainly pitched relaxed.

Bergman rebounded from a rough outing with seven shutout innings and the Seattle Mariners halted Boston’s season-high sixgame winning streak with a 5-0 victory over the Red Sox on Sunday.

“It’s a little bit of all of that,” Bergman said. “You want to get back out there. That’s the best way to forget about it and stuff like that, get back out there and start making good pitches.”

Bergman (2-2) allowed four hits, walked two and struck out two. He got a lot of help from his infielders when they turned a double play in each of the first four innings.

“He attacked them and had the double-play ball going, which was huge,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “I can’t say enough about the effort he gave us today.”

Bergman was tagged for 14 hits and 10 runs over four innings in a loss his previous start.

Robinson Cano hit a two-run homer and Guillermo Heredia a solo shot for the Mariners, who averted a three-game sweep with just their second win in nine games. Seattle was shut out the first two games.

Three relievers completed the combined fivehitter, with closer Edwin Diaz getting the final three outs despite two errors by infielders.

Rick Porcello (3-6) gave up 11 hits, but only two runs in 6 1/3 innings.

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner has had trouble making good pitches for extended innings this season.

“It comes down to consistent location,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “Many times it’s fastballs that are leaking back to the middle of the plate.”

Seattle finished one off its club record for most double plays turned in a game.

After being shut out for the first 21 innings of the series, the Mariners moved ahead 1-0 in the fourth when Kyle Seager raced home from third after Porcello bounced a pitch that went over catcher Sandy Leon’s right shoulder and onto the screen. Seager had doubled leading off and advanced on Danny Valencia’s single.

Heredia homered over the Green Monster in the eighth and Cano sent his into the center-field bleachers an inning later.

Trainer’s room

Mariners: RHP Hisashi Iwakuma, on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammati­on, had another bullpen session Sunday because he wasn’t happy with one a day earlier.

Red Sox: Farrell said 3B Pablo Sandoval, out since late April with a sprained right knee, will stay on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket to get his “timing going” with more at-bats.

Tough times

Porcello is finding easy outs a lot tougher to get after going 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA last season.

“I mean, quick-pitch outs have not been my strength up to this point.” he said. “With runners on base, obviously, you’ve got to find a way.”

His ERA did drop from 4.35 to 4.21, though, despite all the hits.

Roster moves

Seattle sent Saturday’s losing pitcher, RHP Rob Whalen, to Triple-A Tacoma and brought up RHP Ryne Harper from the same club.

The Red Sox also made moves with pitchers, sending Saturday’s winner, lefty Brian Johnson, to Triple-A Pawtucket and promoting RHP Blaine Boyer.

Farrell said after the game that the Red Sox decided to keep Boyer up and send RHP Brandon Workman down to make room when ace David Price is activated.

Boyer made his Red Sox debut, retiring the only two batters he faced.

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