Boston @ Seattle preview
T-Mobile Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 13, 2010 ) Boston 5, Seattle 1
It’s no secret that the Seattle Mariners’ bats have been weak this season.
Just how weak can be traced to the fact they have scored three runs or fewer in 16 consecutive home games, tying a mark that last occurred in 1908 by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Seattle is also last in the majors in runs (460), batting average (.234) and RBIs (434). Perhaps, it should come as no surprise that it is headed for the century mark in losses as well.
The Mariners’ struggles to produce runs on Monday were easy to figure out as Boston Red Sox hurler Jon Lester dominated Seattle. He had 12 strikeouts in eight innings and allowed one run and three hits - all singles - in a 5-1 victory.
A native of Tacoma, Wash., Lester retired 19 of the first 21 batters he faced.
The left-hander has 208 strikeouts, good enough for third best in the American League. Lester (17-8) joins an elite class of pitchers as only the fifth in Red Sox franchise history to have back-to-back seasons with at least 200 strikeouts. He joins Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Cy Young and Smokey Joe Wood.
Boston (80-64) got a late two-run homer by Ryan Kalish and is still hoping to catch the New York Yankees (87-57) for the American League wild card. The Red Sox are seven games behind the Yankees with only 18 remaining.
Seattle (55-89) has lost five in row and now owns the worst record in the American League behind the Baltimore Orioles (56-88).
In the second contest of the three-game series on Tuesday night, the Red Sox will start right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-5, 4.70 ERA) against left-hander Luke French (4-5, 3.90).
Dice-K is trying to erase his worst start of the season. He gave up a season-high eight runs and eight hits while walking four in 4 2/3 innings as the Tampa Bay Rays crushed the Red Sox, 14-5, last Tuesday.
In his most recent outing against the Mariners on July 25, Matsuzaka allowed one run and four hits but received a no-decision in Boston’s 4-2 loss. He is 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in five starts in Seattle.
French will try to get back on the winning track after taking a 4-3 loss at the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. He allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. French has never started against Boston.
Seattle’s Chone Figgins went 2-for-3 Monday to extend his hitting streak to six games. He is hitting .400 (10-for-25) during the streak.
Ichiro Suzuki was 0-for-4, snapping a 13-game hitting streak, but still leads the majors with 186 hits.
Before Monday’s game, the Red Sox added left-handed reliever Rich Hill to their roster. Hill, a Boston native, pitched parts of four campaigns for the Chicago Cubs and last season with Baltimore.