Red Sox Wrap: Mariners Outlast Boston In Starting Pitching Duel

The Boston Red Sox fell to the Seattle Mariners in a 1-0 loss in the second game of a four-game series at T-Mobile Park on Friday night.

With the loss, both teams move to 1-1.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Both teams did damage offensively on Opening Day.

Friday night offered a different story as Boston’s Nick Pivetta and Seattle’s George Kirby matched zeroes in a quality pitcher’s duel.

After walking just 19 batters in 190 innings last season, Kirby walked two Red Sox hitters in the first inning, though got out of the frame unscathed. From there, the 2019 first-round pick settled in and dominated, punching out eight Red Sox in 6 2/3 innings.

Pivetta came to play with equally good stuff on Friday night. Driven by a developing sweeper, the right-hander challenged the Mariners lineup and tallied 10 strikeouts in six innings.

Seattle eventually struck first when J.P. Crawford wrapped a solo home run around the right field foul pole. The Red Sox attempted to answer in the seventh inning with two-out hits from Ceddanne Rafaela and Pablo Reyes, though they were stranded when Gabe Speier fanned Bobby Dalbec to end the frame. Boston stranded four runners between the seventh and eighth innings.

With a final opportunity in the ninth, Andres Munoz struck out the side to even the series.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Pivetta brought his A stuff on Friday night, racking up 10 strikeouts.

— Seattle’s Crawford got the scoring started with his first homer of the year.

— Josh Winckowski excelled in relief, striking out four hitters in two scoreless innings.

WAGER WATCH
Crawford entered Friday’s game at +900 to hit a home run, per FanDuel SportsBook. With his solo shot, a $100 wager on Crawford would have cashed for $900 and a $1,000 total payout.

UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Mariners continue their four-game series on Saturday night in Seattle. First pitch is set for 9:40 p.m. ET. You can catch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.