Until the injured All-Stars return this Red Sox offense needs someone to get hot. Actually, it needs more than just someone. There is a lack of punch at several positions and it's preventing this team from stringing together wins, despite some pretty good starting pitching of late.
Daisuke Matsuzaka is the next guy hoping for a little support. He takes the mound opposite Doug Fister in the series finale on Sunday at 4:10 p.m.
Final, Mariners 5-1: We can criticize the offense for its continued paltry production. The defense deserves some of the blame, most notably Eric Patterson for the big error in the sixth. And Manny Delcarmen does not do the bullpen proud.
You cannot blame Jon Lester, however, despite the fact that he was charged with all five runs in a 5-1 loss. Lester was electric but was alone in the effort as the Sox fall for the 11th time in 17 games and drop to 3-3 on the road trip.
Back soon to wrap it up for you.
End 8th, Mariners 5-1: My goodness was that a disastrous inning. A triple, squeeze bunt, single, walk, double, walk and hit batter adds up to four huge runs for the Mariners. All five runs were charged to Jon Lester, who was so much better than his line suggests.
The Sox have J.D. Drew, Jeremy Hermida and Jed Lowrie due up against Garrett Olson. If any of them get on we will likely see another guy whose name begins with a 'J', or perhaps Darnell McDonald pinch hitting for Kevin Cash.
12:32 a.m.: One insurance run for the Mariners comes in the form of a leadoff triple and a squeeze bunt by Jack Wilson, who put down a beauty on a tough pitch to bring in Milton Bradley. Another arrives later in the eighth when Chone Figgins doubles in a run off Jon Lester, who deserved a better fate.
Lester finishes with a career-high 13 strikeouts. Manny Delcarmen is on with two outs in the eighth and runners at second and third.
Mid 8th, Mariners 2-1: Despite a walk and an error the Mariners are able to navigate the heart of the Red Sox lineup and can attack the soft underbelly in the ninth. Closer David Aardsma, rumored in potential trades with several teams, has had just one save opportunity in over a month.
12:10 a.m.: The Red Sox' offense has consisted of a David Ortiz home run and nothing else. He is due up with one on and one out in the top of the eighth. The Mariners are making a pitching change.
End 7th, Mariners 2-1: Jon Lester has matched his career high with 12 strikeouts and remains under 100 pitches. He will have at least one more inning to set a new personal standard.
Mid 7th, Mariners 2-1: Hard to imagine that the Red Sox are six outs from losing this game. Two Mariners relievers combine to retire the side in order in the seventh, keeping this Boston offense in a pretty major funk.
Sure, the Sox scored eight runs in the series opener but it took 13 innings to do so. They have been limited to four runs or less in nine of the last 10 games and appear to be headed that way again.
Boston has scored five runs in the last 22 innings overall.
End 6th, Mariners 2-1: On one pitch Jon Lester lost his perfect game when Eric Patterson dropped a fly ball. Five pitches later he lost his no-hitter, his shutout and the Red Sox' lead when Michael Saunders crushed a two-run homer. What a turn of events at Safeco.
You have to wonder if Lester would've served up anything hittable all night if he had not been forced to go into the stretch. He was in such a groove before having to pitch with a man on.
The lefty has tied his season high for strikeouts with 11. A hanging curve to Saunders may end up haunting him.
11:40 p.m.: The Mariners' first base runner comes when Eric Patterson drops a fly ball with one out in the sixth. You almost hope they get a legitimate hit at some point, just to prevent Patterson from living a nightmare.
Mid 6th, Red Sox 1-0: Aside from a very low pitch count (62 through five innings), one thing that will help Jon Lester pursue perfection is the close score. As long as the Mariners are within a run his margin for error remains razor thin.
11:32 p.m.: David Pauley gets the first two outs in the sixth and is lifted by manager Don Wakamatsu. He had thrown only 97 pitches and was performing well but Wakamatsu must've really wanted to get a lefty in to face J.D. Drew.
End 5th, Red Sox 1-0: If you blinked, you missed the bottom of the fifth. Jon Lester needs eight pitches to retire the side. He has nine strikeouts and has yet to allow a base runner. Cue the dugout silent treatment, the second one we've seen in three nights here in Safeco.
It seems as if every one of Lester's strikeouts comes on a diving cutter, which has flummoxed Seattle hitters all night.
Mid 5th, Red Sox 1-0: David Pauley is doing his part for the Mariners, who are used to seeing their pitchers perform well in losing efforts. While Seattle is dead last in every important hitting category, its starters own an American League-low 3.63 ERA.
End 4th, Red Sox 1-0: This is a complete mismatch, the Mariners' lineup against Jon Lester. The Red Sox lefty has struck out eight through four perfect innings. Time to break out the record books. The first item worth noting is his career high in strikeouts, which is 12.
Mid 4th, Red Sox 1-0: David Ortiz had gone 36 at-bats without an extra-base hit since the All-Star break before golfing David Pauley's first offering of the fourth inning into the seats in right.
The Sox got two more hits in the inning to make David Pauley work. He has already thrown 72 pitches.
End 3rd, 0-0: Nine up, nine down against Jon Lester. This is a bad combination (for Seattle, at least) – a pathetic offense against a dominant starter who is on his game. Hard to see the Mariners getting to Lester at any point in the night.
Mid 3rd, 0-0: David Pauley threw only eight pitches in coasting through the top of the third. He has four strikeouts, already just one shy of his career high, accomplished in 2006 when in a Red Sox uniform.
End 2nd, 0-0: I'll let you know when the Mariners even sniff a hit. It hasn't happened yet. Jon Lester has three strikouts and three groundouts, each of them weak, through two.
Mid 2nd, 0-0: The Sox have the first real threat of the night when Adrian Beltre walks with one out, J.D. Drew singles and both move up on a wild pitch. But David Pauley gets a huge strikeout of Jeremy Hermida for the second out and Jed Lowrie flies to right.
Just to update you, the Yankees have lost but the Rays have won. Oh, and Washington and Milwaukee are tied in the ninth!!!
End 1st, 0-0: No fights in the Seattle dugout after Chone Figgins again fails to use his legs. He stands there on a bunt that dies a foot in front of the plate while Kevin Cash throws him out. Rough year for Figgins.
The odd out is one of three straight for Jon Lester in the first. He struck out Ichiro Suzuki to start it.
Mid 1st, 0-0: We have to refamiliarize ourself with David Pauley after a couple of years away. One thing is for sure, he works quick. Pauley strikes out David Ortiz to end a 1-2-3 top of the first.
9:54 p.m.: The year was 2005. The site Portland, Maine. A 23-year-old named David Pauley led the Red Sox' Double-A affiliate, the Sea Dogs, with 27 starts. He was 9-7 with a 3.81 ERA, but was overshadowed by a young lefty by the name of Jon Lester.
Lester was second to Pauley in starts with 26 but led the team with 11 wins and 163 strikeouts. Along with Jonathan Papelbon (5-2, 2.48 ERA in 14 starts) the trio represented a promising future for the Red Sox.
Fast forward five years and Lester is 53-20 in just 110 career starts while Pauley is 0-5 with a 7.06 ERA and is with his third organization in three years.
It figures to be quite the mismatch when the two meet in a few minutes, but Pauley is still pretty young (just turned 27) and has been pretty good since moving into the Mariners rotation when Cliff Lee was traded. In addition, Lester has struggled in Safeco Field by posting a 5.48 ERA in four career starts in what amounts to his hometown park.
9:30 p.m.: There hasn't been any conclusion or explanation for the scuffle in the Mariners dugout Friday night. Chone Figgins is back in the lineup but chose not to speak with the media about the incident, which came when he was benched following a lack-of-hustle play.
According to reports, Figgins, manager Don Wakamatsu and general manager Jack Zduriencik had a meeting earlier Saturday.
Wakamatsu: "Again, it's more about the play, it's not so much about the individual. There's some accountability, not just him, we're asking of everybody. Again, when there (are) tight ballgames and one or two plays affect the outcome it seems to be more critical, obviously."
If you don't recall what happened, here's a summary. Mike Cameron doubled to the corner in left to lead off the fifth. The throw in by Michael Saunders sailed over the head of cutoff man Jack Wilson and bounced past second base, where Figgins was standing.
Cameron took off for third and replays showed Figgins just watching the ball, unmoving, as it bounced slowly to first. Had he stepped over to back it up Cameron would've been held at second.
The ensuing brawl, which appeared to center around Figgins and third baseman Jose Lopez, showcases the frustration within the Seattle clubhouse. This was a trendy pick to not only win the AL West but go all the way to the World Series. Instead they are in a dogfight for the worst record in baseball.
9:03 p.m.: Remember a few weeks ago when the injuries came so fast and furious it was a bit bewildering? Well, we're seeing the inverse of that right now as each day brings either a healthy player returning to the roster or a big step forward by someone still on the sidelines.
The latest word on Victor Martinez is very positive. Terry Francona told reporters that he has a chance to return Monday in Anaheim.
Martinez caught Tim Wakefield's bullpen session earlier in the week and then Clay Buchholz on Saturday. No issues. He will catch in the bullpen Sunday and then may be activated the very next day.
Can you imagine the transformation this lineup will have when Martinez and then Dustin Pedroia return?
That's not to count out the impact Jacoby Ellsbury will have. While many have been down on Ellsbury for his absence from the team and what not, I'm of the persuasion that he may be the one guy that can provide the shot in the arm this team needs in the last two months.
As steady as Marco Scutaro has been, just think what would happen to this lineup if Ellsbury is his usual self, batting near .300 and stealing bases with abandon. Who knows how sharp he will be when he comes back, but I think there's a chance he could wind up being the key addition if/when the Sox make a major charge.
Ellsbury is slated to begin playing Gulf Coast League games Monday before continuing his rehab in Pawtucket. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he could return during the next homestand.
8:48 p.m.: The first domino fell Saturday afternoon when the Yankees lost at home to Kansas City. The second was looking rather tipsy until Tampa Bay just rallied in Cleveland. Still, if Jon Lester can outduel David Pauley (is that too much to ask?) the Sox will gain ground on at least one team.
By the way, are you aware that the Rays have lost 18 straight in Cleveland. That's right, in Cleveland. Hard to imagine.
7:45 p.m.: Red Sox outfielder Jeremy Hermida returns to the Red Sox starting lineup tonight for the third game of this four-game weekend series in Seattle.
Here are the lineups for the Sox and Mariners.
Red Sox
1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Eric Patterson, CF
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. Adrian Beltre, 3B
6. J.D. Drew, RF
7. Jeremy Hermida, LF
8. Jed Lowrie, 2B
9. Kevin Cash, C
Jon Lester, P
Mariners
1. Ichiro Suzuki, RF
2. Chone Figgins, 2B
3. Ricky Gutierrez, CF
4. Jose Lopez, 3B
5. Justin Smoak, 1B
6. Milton Bradley, DH
7. Josh Bard, C
8. Jack Wilson, SS
9. Michael Saunders, LF
David Pauley, P
10 a.m.: Jon Lester and David Pauleycame up through the ranks of the Red Sox organization together. The former teammates square off as opponents for the first time when the Red Sox and Mariners meet Saturday night in Safeco Field.
Lester took the loss in his prior outing at Fenway Park six days ago. But at 53-20 for his career, he has exactly 53 wins more than Pauley does.
Boston will be aiming for its third straight win for the first time in almost one month. After surviving a wild opener in 13 innings, the Sox rode a solid return by Josh Beckett to a 2-1 victory Friday night.
First pitch for this one is 10:10 p.m.
