Red Sox Wrap: Another Shaky Start Bites Boston In 6-5 Loss Vs. Mariners

In what has become a theme during this opening series, the Boston Red Sox found themselves in an early hole on Saturday night after a shaky start on the mound.

One night after Nathan Eovaldi was tagged for six runs, the Seattle Mariners hung a six-spot on Eduardo Rodriguez, who made it just 4 1/3 innings. But unlike Friday night, the Red Sox’s ninth-inning prayers were not answered, falling 6-5 at T-Mobile Park.

Rodriguez labored early, with the breaking point coming on a Jay Bruce three-run home run in the fifth inning that gave Seattle breathing room. Mike Leake earned the win for the Mariners, tossing six innings and allowing both Sox runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

The Red Sox fall to 1-2 with the loss, while the Mariners climb to 4-1 with the win.

Here’s how it went down:

GAME IN A WORD
Punchless.

After a riveting comeback Friday night, Red Sox bats couldn’t string much together on Saturday, managing just one extra base hit.

ON THE BUMP
— Rodriguez got off to a rocky start, throwing 31 pitches in the first inning which bogged down the lefty’s first start of the season. Rodriguez threw 105 pitches over 4 1/3 innings, allowing six runs, five earned, on eight hits with five strikeouts and three walks.

The 25-year-old was in trouble right out of the gate, allowing Mitch Haniger to single to lead off the bottom of the first. After striking out Domingo Santana and getting Edwin Encarnacion to hit into a fielder’s choice that put Haniger at second, Rodriguez walked Jay Bruce. Tim Beckham then singled to score Haniger. That was followed by a Ryon Healey double that plated Bruce. Rodriguez then stranded runners on second and third by striking out Tom Murphy.

Rodriguez allowed just one base runner over the next two innings, with Encarnacion singling in the third.

But the lefty was back in trouble in the fourth when Healey doubled to right to lead off then Murphy earned a walk. Rodriguez got Dylan Moore to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, but Healey scored on a two-out jam-shot single from Dee Gordon that trickled into left field to make it 3-2 Seattle.

The wheels came off in the fifth, with Rodriguez already up over 90 pitches. Santana reached on an error committed by Mitch Moreland, when the first baseman could not control a throw from Bogaerts. Encarnacion followed with a single. Bruce then drilled a homer to right to give Seattle a 6-2 lead.

Rodriguez then walked Beckham and got Healey to fly out to center before being relieved.

— Heath Hembree entered with an out and a runner on first. He allowed Murphy to single, but got out of the jam by striking out Moore and getting Gordon to fly out to center.

Hembree returned in the sixth, allowing a one-out single to Santana, but struck out Encarnacion and got Murphy to lineout to end the frame.

— Tyler Thornburg tossed a hitless seventh, striking out two and walking one.

— Hector Velazquez chucked a 1, 2, 3 inning in the eighth.

IN THE BATTER’S BOX
—  Jackie Bradley Jr. cut the Red Sox’s 2-0 first-inning deficit in half in the second inning.

The center fielder laced a single up the middle that plated Moreland, who ripped a one-out double and advanced to third on a Blake Swihart groundout, to make it 2-1. Brock Holt walked, but Andrew Benintendi struck out swinging to strand runners on first and second.

— Boston got even in the third.

Rafael Devers walked then stole second base with one out. He was driven home on a line drive single off the bat of J.D. Martinez to tie things up at 2.

— The Red Sox made a last gasp in the ninth.

Christian Vazquez singled to lead off the frame, then Benintendi walked with two outs. Betts then drilled a roller to Moore at third, who threw the ball away, which plated Vazquez and put runners on second and third for Devers.

Devers lined another ball to third, which Moore could not corral, scoring Benintendi to make it 6-4. Martinez then rolled another ball to third and guess what? Moore botched the play, bobbling the ball, then bouncing the throw to first in his third consecutive error in the inning which allowed Betts to score and put the tying run on third.

That’s as far as it would go, however, as Bogaerts struck out looking to end it.

— Martinez, Devers and Bradley Jr. each had two hits.

— Benintendi, Moreland, and Vazquez also had hits.

TWEET OF THE DAY
Hasn’t been a great start for the starters.

UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Mariners close out their four-game series Sunday afternoon. First pitch from T-Mobile Park is set for 4:10 p.m. ET. Rick Porcello (0-0, 0.00 ERA) and Wade LeBlanc (0-0, 0.00 ERA) are the probable pitchers.