The Boston Red Sox’s six-game winning streak came to a close Sunday afternoon as they were shut out by the Seattle Mariners 5-0 at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox struggled mightily against Mariners starter Christian Bergman. The right-hander dazzled through seven innings, surrendering only two hits while recording two strikeouts.
Rick Porcello wasn’t very sharp on the mound for Boston, as Seattle tagged the reigning American League Cy Young winner for 11 hits. Porcello was able to get out of harm’s way for the most part, but Boston’s offensive woes plagued its chances of winning.
With the loss, the Red Sox fell to 27-22, while the Mariners improved to 22-29 with the win.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Deflating.
The Red Sox didn’t have much luck with the bats, but the runners that did reach base were ousted in short order. Boston nearly grounded into as many double plays (four) as hits it collected (five).
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
The Mariners allowed the Red Sox to stay in it for the majority of the game, but a Robinson Cano two-run home run in the ninth inning effectively put the contest out of Boston’s reach. With a comfortable lead in the final frame, right-hander Edwin Diaz preserved Seattle’s victory.
ON THE BUMP
— Porcello didn’t have his best stuff Sunday afternoon, but the Red Sox ace did a fine job of escaping most of the damage. The right-hander scattered 11 hits over 6 1/3 innings of work, but only allowed two Mariners to cross the plate.
Seattle logged hits in every inning Porcello was on the mound, but it was a costly Red Sox mistake which allowed the visiting club to score their first run. After a Kyle Seager double and Danny Valencia single, a Porcello wild pitch put the Mariners on the board. But thanks to strikeouts from Jarrod Dyson and Jean Segura, Boston escaped the fourth inning with only the one run allowed.
Porcello would work into the seventh inning, but a Carlos Ruiz double and Ben Gamel single forced manager John Farrell to tap into his bullpen with only one out in the frame.
— Robby Scott entered to face Cano, and the lefty specialist got the job done by forcing the star second baseman to fly out to right field.
— Heath Hembree followed Scott, and the right-hander nearly got the Red Sox out of the seventh inning unscathed. Xander Bogaerts nabbed a sharp grounder up the middle off the bat of Nelson Cruz, but an off-target throw forced Mitch Moreland off the first-base bag and allowed Ruiz to score Seattle’s second run.
Hembree would labor through the eighth inning. The Red Sox reliever gave up a solo blast to Guillermo Heredia to give the Mariners a three-run lead. Dyson followed Heredia’s homer with a double off the Green Monster, but the speedy center fielder was gunned down by Sandy Leon trying to steal third base.
— Fernando Abad came on for the ninth inning and wasn’t kindly greeted. After Segura led off the ninth with a ground-rule double, Cano brought him home with a two-run shot home run to center field. Abad was pulled with just one out in the inning.
— Blaine Boyer was called on to follow Abad and recorded the final two outs of the ninth in his Red Sox debut.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Dustin Pedroia was the only Red Sox hitter to record a multi-hit game. The second baseman went 2-for-4 with a double on the afternoon.
— Bogaerts laced a single to left field in the first inning and finished the game 1-for-4.
— Chris Young pinch hit for Jackie Bradley Jr. in the eighth inning and delivered with a double to left field. The veteran outfielder now is 4-for-9 on the season in pinch-hit opportunities.
— Deven Marrero (1-for-3) lined a single down the first-base line in the sixth inning.
— Moreland, Leon, Bradley, Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi and Hanley Ramirez all went hitless in the ballgame.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Porcello’s final four starts in May were awfully similar.
Porcello:
May 12 vs. Tampa: 6 IP, 9 H.
May 17 at St. Louis: 6 IP, 9 H.
May 23 vs. Texas: 6 2/3 IP, 11 H
May 28 vs. Seattle: 6 1/3 IP, 11 H— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) May 28, 2017
UP NEXT
The Red Sox hit the road for a 10-game road trip starting Monday afternoon in Chicago against the White Sox. David Price is set to make his season debut for the Red Sox and will be countered by David Holmberg. First pitch from Guaranteed Rate Field is set for 2:10 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
